Odyssey
by VampireQueenAkasha
Summary: It all began when Steven freed her from her bubble. - AU. -
1. Chapter One: Beginning

**Odyssey**

 **Author's Note:** I've decided to rewrite Lazarus and make it closer to canon. Now, regardless of how the show will go, it'll still remain an AU for the most part. But this fic will have elements such as Rose being Pink Diamond and all that. Jasper will make a return and I will even put my Scary!White fics together since it's been advised that I do so. After a certain point, I was inclined to agree. LOL.

This will also have moments when before Lars is resurrected and contain scenes from the show, just fixed up to work for the fic itself.

" _Even his griefs are a joy long after to one that remembers all that he wrought and endured."_

― Homer, The Odyssey

" _War is peace._

 _Freedom is slavery._

 _Ignorance is strength."_

― George Orwell, 1984

 **By: VampireQueenAkasha**

~O~

 **Chapter One: Beginning**

Run.

That's all the corrupted gem could do.

Jasper raced through the desert for days, her paws and hooves throbbing from the trek. It had been a long journey and she hadn't been sure enough that the Crystal Gems hadn't been following her. The sun began to set against the horizon, so she decived she would stop and laid her head down against the ground. Just to take a moment to rest.

 _It's quiet._

After a moment, Jasper curled up into the dirt, digging her claws deep through the ground into a little makeshift den. She wrapped her tail around herself, hissed out softly before finding sleep. It had been difficult given the frayed hinges of her mind. Flickers of memories and scalding spurts of color from darker places in her head.

Hurting.

Sleep came once again, though it ended quickly as human activity awoke the corrupted gem. It was day and the humans seemed to be just waking from their sleep, to do whatever meaningless activity that humans did in their short, meager lives.

 _Don't come near me._

Jasper rose to her full height with a threatening snarl and a show of teeth; a few humans spotted her from their place in the tent, screaming in fright. They fled and Jasper shuffled her way to their campsite, sniffing at a pot of water. She was so thirsty without knowing why. She had never needed to drink before.

She took a few drinks from the pot anyway, sniffling loudly before she continued to run.

Fragmented whispers of her truer self, comforting her somehow in spite of her new form. She continued on with the sun rising behind her. The sight of a forgotten gem structure appeared in the distance, so Jasper made her way toward it. At the very least, it was familiar.

Jasper stepped through a broken doorway, blocked only slightly by debris. Pushing her way into a vast chamber, Jasper noticed several cusions laid in a corner. She pawed them a few times, trying to get comfortable before settling down. Around her were murals of the Diamonds. She didn't want to look at them.

She didn't have her other eye to close; the horrible spike in her head prevented a lot of attempts at relaxing, but the feeling in this unique gem chamber settled over her. She didn't even know where she was. Perhaps it belonged to Blue Diamond. What did it matter, anyway? The Diamonds no longer looked at Earth with anything other than a jaundiced eye.

 _Let it relax you._

The whisper from deep within soothed her somehow. Relax. Yes. Just for a little while.

Her body felt weak, rippling from the agony of her corruption and the exhaustion of running. If anything, at least the pain had subsided a bit, leaving a dull ache.

Jasper took a deep inhale, hating the rattling animal sound from her own throat. But the sensations in the chamber seemed to take hold, relaxing every bit of her corrupted form.

She found sleep.

O

 _[Several days earlier...]_

It was cold that morning in the Burning Room.

How funny given the name.

And Steven continued hearing Jasper's words echoing in his mind. Over and over again.

Steven hadn't been able to sleep as he watched the bubble containing Jasper's gem drift silently above his head. Sometimes he wondered if gems spent a lot of time thinking when they were bubbled. Or if they slept. The others never really explained it to him.

Then again, they never explained anything to him.

It wasn't their fault. Steven didn't blame them. He didn't want to blame them. But they didn't give him answers and it didn't help him find the peace he needed. He didn't receive help from them regarding what his mother had done to Pink Diamond. Just vague answers. Always.

He held the bubble now, studying Jasper's gem inside.

What did she know? What could she have told him?

Jasper wasn't willing to answer. And if anything, she had been shocked when Steven knew nothing about what happened to Pink Diamond. Was he supposed to know? Why couldn't things have been easier for them? Why didn't the answers just make sense for once?

He still remembered the raw desperation in Jasper's eyes. The pain and anger there. Jasper had been anything but a good gem, but Steven could never forget how she looked at him. How she hated him for what his mother did. She had her reasons for the things she did. If only he knew the truth.

There had to be answers. Taking her gem away and trying what he had done with the Centipeetle Mother and Peridot had to work. He had to try and fix what his mother had done.

Maybe.

Still, he had to take a chance at it.

He quickly made his way to the Warp Pad and returned to the Beta Kindergarten. Being in bare feet the entire time was probably not the best idea.

He winced and grimaced as the hot sand scorched his heels.

"Ouch..." Steven muttered, the sound echoing in the great chasm. "Ouch, ouch..." He sighed ruefully and glanced over his shoulders. "Probably should have brought my flip-flops."

He sighed again and shrugged to himself. "Well, can't go back for them now."

He searched the Kindergarten by himself, watching the spaces where gems had been formed. The empty holes in the wall seemed creepy at night. He never really noticed it when he had tried capturing another corrupted gem with Peridot; the one who had been fast, and took almost the whole day to capture.

He set Jasper's bubbled gem down near his feet and began to work on tending to a place where he could keep her.

Jasper was dangerous. He wasn't about to forget that. So he had to use a different strategy with her. Something she had done with the other corrupted gems she had kept for her personal army. It seemed to work, so he could do that too. Fortunately, there was a makeshift cell that only required a little extra care from him.

He carefully scooped the bubbled gem up into his hands and took a deep breath to calm himself. This would get interesting.

Or dangerous.

Either way, Steven was ready.

"Okay, Jasper." he said, trying to keep himself calm. "Let's talk."

With that, he deposited the gem into the cell and the bubble popped instantly.

Immediately, Jasper's gem fell to the ground in a small puff of dust. Steven watched as the glow of her reanimating gem filled the cell. He saw a ray of light emerge; limbs were formed, a flowing head of hair. For a second, he thought Jasper wasn't corrupted at all.

Then, he heard it. The frightening scream from Jasper, transforming slowly into a nightmarish roar of rage. The gnashing of sharp teeth and splatters of saliva that hit the dust below.

The light faded, replaced with jagged, teal spikes and horns. Sick, green splotches across orange, striped skin. Large paws. Dangerous claws that sliced into the ground beneath her feet.

As blind as she was, Jasper still seemed to be able to see. She paced around the cell, screeching and clawing at the walls in a mad attempt to regain her senses and surroundings. It was hard to remember her for what she was when she acted like Lion did.

"J-Jasper?" Steven said, carefully.

Immediately, Jasper quieted down at the mention of her name, looking straight at him. It wasn't like her usual outbursts where she would give a cold laugh, or mock him. She only...stared.

It was hard to tell if she was staring at him, given the large spikes protruding from her eyes. But Steven still had the feeling she saw him. Saw THROUGH HIM.

"Jasper, do you remember me?" he asked.

The gem approached, sniffing the air slightly. A gurgle escaped her. A low snarl of intimidation. Caution. How odd that she seemed more careful in this form.

"I know it might seem strange," Steven continued, with a careful smile, "But that cell you're in? I only put you there so you won't hurt me."

Jasper snarled, showing her dangerous teeth. Her claws almost kneaded the ground beneath her. She seemed more animal like this than anything else. But Steven remembered how Centi had been; how she had behaved like a dog rather than a dangerous gem.

He didn't know if this would work. If he could keep her secret.

Maybe healing her a little...

Steven licked the palm of his hand, coming up with a generous amount of saliva. He raised it to Jasper's face, touching one of her eye spikes quickly.

The gem recoiled with a shriek of confusion and loathing, clawing at her face desperately in an effort to be rid of the nuisance.

"Sorry!" Steven cried, holding out two hands. "I just thought it would help you see!"

Well, so he could see her looking at him, anyway.

Jasper whirled, her back to him. She snorted and snarled, pawing at her face. After a few moments, the sounds stopped and so did she.

Finally, she turned back, giving him a snarl of rage.

Steven was shocked to see what his healing spit had done.

Instead of a spike over her right eye, one of her natural, golden eyes stared back at him. Narrowed. Filled with anxiety and distress. Whatever she used to be, it was long gone right now. She didn't know him. The same as Centi.

That was probably for the best.

The eye focused on him, demanding answers. Centi had given him the same sounds and glare of protest when he had healed her too.

The golden stare held him frozen in his spot. There was nothing beyond that look. Nothing but anger and fear.

Fear.

The same fear he had seen on Jasper's face before she had succumbed completely to her corruption. He wanted to talk to her a little more, but looked up and noticed how late it was getting. The sun would set and the others would probably worry about him.

"Jasper, I hate to leave you in there, but I'll be back," Steven assured her.

She continued to stare, her gaze hard and cold.

Steven quickly rushed back toward the warp pad and noticed Jasper still watching him.

O

Steven had barely slept when he returned to the Temple.

That next morning, he had almost taken a swim in his cereal. Or at least, that was how Garnet had put it. She was chuckling and picking him up when his head fell forward.

"Steven, I don't think you want to go for a swim in your cornflakes." she said, smiling.

Steven blinked a little before rubbing the sleepy sensation from his eyes. "Oh, sorry."

"Didn't sleep well?" Garnet guessed.

"How could you tell?" Steven quipped, wiping his mouth a little. He had a little bit of cornflakes still sticking to his cheeks.

Pearl and Amethyst entered the kitchen, arguing about cleaning. Lapis wasn't far behind. Well, Pearl had been doing most of the arguing with her.

"...I told you not to let Peridot touch them!"

Amethyst laughed loudly, holding her sides. "It was worth it!" she cried. She grinned at Lapis. "Hey! Did you get a load of her face when they popped! She was like..."

She imitated Peridot's nasally screeching before losing it completely in a fit of cackles.

Lapis stared at her for a moment before she couldn't help her giggle.

"Well I hope you had a good laugh," Pearl scolded, "Because it's going to take forever to clean that mess up."

Amethyst shrugged with a final giggle. "Worth it."

Suddenly, Peridot burst through the door, screeching wildly and thrashing her arms about. She was covered head to toe in red globs of goo.

"AH!" she screamed, frantic to get it off. "Get it off! What is this horrible, sticky - "

She collided headfirst into the wall, drawing another cackle from Amethyst.

Pearl sighed, rolling her eyes. She plucked Peridot up from the floor. "Come on. Let's find the hose and wash you down."

She made a disgusted noise as several more globs of the hideous red goo clung to her cheeks and top. Well, this was annoying.

While they chattered aimlessly, Steven made his way to the bathroom to start the day.

He remembered Jasper sitting alone in her cell and decided that maybe it would be okay to bring a few things with him. He hoped that a little gesture of good will would help in their discussion. He thought about bringing paper and pencils. Maybe the trick would work as it had with Centi.

But Jasper couldn't very well use them with her huge paws.

Anything that might help could be useful, so he shoved it in his backpack anyway. A few snacks and treats would probably be good too. It was a gesture of kindness and it was a good enough start. Jasper was different and Steven knew she would have to be approached differently. Had she remembered him, she probably would have tried to break out of her cell.

He made his way back to the Beta Kindergarten and approached the cell that housed Jasper. The corrupted gem was lying on her side, seemingly asleep. When she lifted her head, Steven had almost forgotten that one of her eyes was fixed from his healing spit. It squinted suspiciously at him.

"Hi..." he said, nervously. "I'm back."

Jasper glanced down, watching as he deposited a few things from his backpack, only the ground. He carefully rolled an apple into the cell to her.

She seemed to sniff it a few times, her tongue tasting it a bit before gobbling it up in one small snap of her teeth. Steven smiled a bit and pulled out a bag of chips. He opened it and took a handful, shoving them into his mouth. Jasper looked up at the sound of crunching chips.

Steven looked surprised before he laughed a little. "Hey, you want some?" he asked.

Jasper hissed lowly and took a single step forward. Steven tossed a few chips into her cell and she gobbled them up in several snaps of her dangerous teeth. She ate every bite as if she had been starved; Steven had never seen a gem so eager to eat, with the exception of Amethyst. Most of them never HAD to.

Steven took a step forward, careful. Jasper's eye immediately narrowed and she snarled a warning at him. He retreated a few steps before sitting down in the dirt.

"Okay, sorry," he said, with a nervous laugh. "You need your space. Got it."

Jasper laid down on her belly, staring at him; perhaps she was trying to understand. Steven was sure she didn't remember him. She was entirely too calm for being what she was.

Steven murmured thoughtfully. "Do you remember anything?" he asked.

Jasper glanced down. She raised a single claw and scratched something in the dirt. Steven watched curiously as she began to make a mark depicting a Diamond. Oh, right. HER Diamond. That was what all of this was about.

"What happened to your Diamond?" he asked.

Jasper's eyes widened slightly; then she rose, giving out a roar. She began to punch the walls, claw them and shriek out like a wounded dog. Steven had to block out the sounds with two hands at his ears, wincing in pain. A howl of rage. A small, hitched cry of pain.

Then, she saw his gem.

The gem of a Rose Quartz.

Jasper screamed and it sounded less bestial and more human. Steven jumped back with a startled gasp as Jasper clawed at him through the bars of the makeshift cell. The rage in her wide, good eye, the way saliva flew from her snapping, screaming jaws.

"Stop!" Steven begged. "I'm not her!"

Jasper ignored him, still madly reaching through the bars like a thing possessed. She wasn't listening. She didn't hear him.

All she saw was Rose Quartz.

He decided to spend the afternoon at the Big Donut away from Jasper. It didn't feel right to leave her like that, but he still needed time, especially after what had happened.. But he couldn't even eat anything Sadie offered him. She noticed how distracted he was and wiped down the counter top while she spoke.

"Hey, Steven," she said. "What's the matter?"

Steven sighed, leaning his head on his arm. "I don't know..."

Sadie seemed discouraged by the response. "Hm, everything okay back home?"

"Yeah, I guess." Steven said, pushing his donut away.

That was a first.

He was quiet for a moment before he spoke again. "Sadie, do people keep secrets from you?"

Sadie let out a laugh. Half-hearted. "Oh yeah, I mean, look who I work with."

Lars was outside. He seemed to be cursing about gum that was stuck at the bottom of his shoe. He attempted to scrape it off on a street sign. It was almost funny watching him get smacked by the sign when it chose to kick back and hit him in the leg.

Sadie's wiping slowed and she stared at Steven, troubled by his silence. "What's this about?" she asked.

"Why do people keep secrets anyway?" Steven suddenly asked, throwing his arms in the air. "When you're family, shouldn't you just be honest?"

Sadie sighed through her nose. "Sometimes people keep secrets because they don't know how the person might handle them." she explained. "Maybe sometimes the secret is really bad and they're worried they might hurt you. Yeah, it's not right, but that's just how it is, I guess."

Steven thought about that. Sadie did make sense, but he still didn't understand it.

Hurt or no hurt, wasn't it important to be honest?

"Sometimes family might hurt you," Sadie continued, taking the donut from Steven's plate and holding it out to him. "I think it's important to remember to love them no matter what."

Steven stared at the offering for a moment before smiling. "You're pretty smart, Sadie."

She chuckled sheepishly and scratched the back of her head. "Well..."

Steven gave her a hug, stuffed the donut in his mouth and rushed from the store. She watched him go, laughing softly.

Later that day, Pearl searched the house for Steven. She found remnants of his clothing, as well as some of his toys, but no sign of him.

Amethyst was busy making a meal out of another atrocious combination of food.

"Amethyst, have you seen Steven?" she asked.

Amethyst shrugged her shoulders. "Nope."

She handled a jar of pickles and opened it up, sending its contents falling to the floor in a terrible spray of brine and vegetables. Pearl wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Amethyst, stop making a mess!" she ordered.

Amethyst shrugged once. "What?" she said, "Not like I won't eat it up off the floor."

Pearl sighed, throwing her arms in the air with a disappointed sound.

O

Jasper watched him.

She reminded him of a wet, frozen dog, just staring in the darkness of the makeshift cell with her good eye almost glowing. He even saw a mild tremble in her large, spiked frame. She looked seconds away from lunging again.

Steven wanted to leave. He didn't like the way she stared at him.

But there was something else he had to do.

"I'm not her." he tried to explain. "I know we did this before..."

He trailed off hesitantly, not quite sure how to put it. He gathered a few things from his bag. A photo of Rose Quartz. He held it up nearest his ear to try and show Jasper the difference. That wide, narrowed eye didn't show interest in what she was seeing.

Not at first.

She seemed to stare at the photo of Rose Quartz, then to Steven's wary face. Then back to Rose. Then Steven again. Her narrow pupil darting left to right each time. It was unnerving.

It clearly didn't seem to click with Jasper. All she saw was Rose, in another form.

 _...trying to confuse me..._

The hiss that escaped Jasper was softer and it reminded Steven of an angry Velociraptor he had seen from the last movie he'd seen about dinosaurs.

What else could he do to convince her?

"I'll come back for you." he promised, gathering his things.

Jasper watched him go. The entire time he had spoken, her claws had dug enormous grooves in the earth beneath her.

 _"Rose Quartz takes priority!"_

 _"Jasper, you need to be calm!"_

 _"I AM CALM!"_

 _The gem had been pacing back and forth in her ship. Another gem stood nearby; a Rhodonite. They were often used as Pink Diamond's garden caretakers. They were particularly fussy about appearance and didn't like the slightest dent or imperfection._

 _They were always dressed in the cleanest, most pristine of finery. They were not made for battle. They were simply there as keepers._

 _Watching Jasper pace for a few moments, the Rhodonite sighed, casting her gaze upwards before shaking her head._

 _"Yeah, you look really calm." she muttered. "Now we should - You're going to pit the floor!"_

 _Jasper clenched her fists, shaking with rage._

 _Rhodonite began to distract herself by sweeping the floor where Jasper had been pacing. She muttered to herself while Jasper continued to rant, her mouth pantomiming the same words from the other gem. She had heard it a million times._

 _"Rose Quartz is our enemy and we need to shatter her whatever the cost!" Jasper spat._

 _"If we are to make Rose Quartz pay for her transgressions, we are to do so with a clear mind. I understand gems such as yourself are built for conquest and nothing more. But if you go with your emotions on your shoulders, you will be shattered."_

 _"Don't preach to me about battle!"_

 _Rhodonite stared at her with disappointment._

 _She turned to depart. Jasper called after her in confused anger. "Where are you going?" she demanded._

 _"To tend to Her gardens."_

 _"What?!" Jasper cried, unable to fathom such idiocy._

 _"Yes." Rhodonite answered, with a certain peaceful calm in her words. "That is what we are made for. That is what we will continue to do."_

O

Jasper had fallen asleep, but awoke to the sound of curious chittering. She looked up, spotting a corrupted gem standing on the other side of the cell. Watching her.

It had a fat, furry blue body and a single gem embedded in its chest. It had no arms, but two large legs and a gaping mouth filled with razor teeth.

It tilted its head at the other corrupted gem inside the cell.

Roles reversed.

What a cruel, mocking twist of fate.

Jasper turned away from the cell, too exhausted to fight.

The little gem bounced onto the other side of the cell, trying to see her better. Jasper gave a gruff snort, sending a puff of dirt in its direction.

 _Go away._

The gem was obviously too far gone to understand it. It skittered about her cell, making excited noises. Jasper's good eye rolled in annoyance.

O

Steven took a seat across from Connie, barely listening when she was talking about her homework. He managed to doodle a little picture of Jasper's corrupted form on paper, moments as Connie took it out from under his hands.

"Steven, what is this?" she asked. She raised her eyebrows. "This looks like Jasper."

It occurred to Steven that she had never seen Jasper's corrupted form. He took the picture from her and sighed, crumbling it up into a ball.

"It's nothing. I'm just...distracted." he said.

Connie frowned. She tilted her head, knowing full well that something else was going on. Steven was always so easy to read.

"Steven..." she said. "Is something going on?"

Steven wanted to tell her. He really did. Maybe she would know some way to help that he couldn't. He gave a long, heavy sigh.

Taking Connie's hand, he led her from the library so that others would not hear. When he turned around the corner and told her everything, Connie's eyes widened in shock.

"You WHAT?" she exclaimed.

Steven held out two hands. "Please, just hear me out."

Connie folded her arms across her chest, frowning and waiting for his explanation. "Steven, this is very dangerous." she reminded him. "Do you remember what she almost did to us? To Amethyst?"

Steven nodded. "I know. I just...I had to try."

"Steven, if you're trying to fix this because..." Connie trailed off, not sure if bringing up what they had dealt with in their fused realm was a good idea.

"I'm not trying to fix what I did." Steven told her. "I'm trying to fix what mom did."

Connie was amazed by the mature response from him. Steven's face was filled with sadness. "Mom had her reasons. Yeah, I get that. I know Garnet and the others are always talking about how war makes you do crazy things. But maybe it doesn't have to be like that. Maybe there can be another way to stop this."

Connie hesitated for a moment, considering his words. She exhaled, making a face. "Show me where she is."

Steven smiled and nodded.

The two walked back to the Temple, passing the kitchen. The gems were nowhere to be seen. Steven could make out the sounds of Amethyst doing something on the roof. He had no idea what it was. Garnet was talking with her.

He started to step up onto the warp pad, but Pearl was suddenly there, arms folded. She cleared her throat and regarded the pair curiously.

"Well. Where are we off to in such a hurry?" she asked.

Steven and Connie looked at each other, uncertain of how to answer.

"Uhm..." Connie said. "We were..."

Steven held up two hands, trying to sound convincing as possible. "Connie has a project! We need to find plants!"

"Oh?" Pearl said. She seemed interested. "Plants, you say? Maybe I could help." She made a face. "Amethyst has insisted on playing games with the lights again. I tell you, it's all fun and games until Peridot ends up wrapped in multi-colorful light fixtures."

Steven started pushing Connie onto the warp pad. "Thanks, but we can handle it!"

They both grinned widely at her and Pearl quirked an eyebrow.

She wasn't buying it, but allowed for them to depart without further talk. They were more than capable of looking out for each other should a situation arise.

Still, something didn't seem right to her.

O

Jasper tugged frantically at the cell bars so hard that the muscles in her arm strained. The screech she uttered almost sounded less beastly and more like her old voice. The bar began to bend slowly. Jasper uttered a triumphant gurgle of sounds. Just a little more. She would finally be free.

The sounds of Steven and Connie talking together caused her to pause slightly. Craning her head, she spotted the two approaching around the corner. Releasing the bar, Jasper scooted back a little bit, staring at them rigidly.

Who was that smaller female?

Jasper's mind was a broken playback feed of images and colors from her most recent battle, before everything had gone black. And the sounds that she didn't recognize bursting from her swollen, monstrous throat.

But importantly, she remembered the agony.

How it felt to have her physical form shredded by the corruption. How she felt like she was choking, dying over and over again.

Connie focused on Jasper, amazed by the sight of her. Jasper felt cognitive enough to recongize the stare. It was fear, that much she knew. It reminded her of the lower class Gems regarding her. The Rubies who drooled over her like despicable entertainment Gems. The ones who worked in the lower districts of Homeworld.

"Wait, what happened to her?" Connie asked, looking at Steven.

"She was corrupted." Steven explained. "I'm trying to help fix her."

Connie wasn't so sure about that idea. "I don't know, Steven..."

"I know. It's crazy..."

"Have you made any progress?"

"Well, not much." Steven told her. "She still thinks I'm my mom."

"She doesn't understand how she gave up her form to have you." Connie affirmed. "It's still confusing to me. Maybe if we explain that to her?"

Steven exhaled. "There's no way. She only sees it as a trick."

Connie seemed to be thinking about that as he spoke. She looked up at Jasper for a moment, noticing the shaking in her frame, the way she stared at Steven like she wanted to tear him apart. She still had no idea why he wanted to help her. She seemed dangerous to Connie.

But that was Steven. Always wanting to help even the most dangerous of gems.

But in a way, Peridot was dangerous and they had gone through so much together. Maybe Connie wasn't looking at it correctly. Despite this, Jasper looked different than other gem corruptions. She looked as though part of her face and arm hadn't been entirely corrupted yet.

But Steven had told her than he witnessed her full corruption. So what did this mean?

Jasper moved forward, clutching the bar tightly in one hand. She gave it an angry tug, snarling.

Connie nodded her head. "I might have an idea."

O

Jasper stared down at Connie, pressing her paws close to her face. She leaned forward, trying to read the book title that the human was holding up.

"My mom gave me this book a long time ago." she told her. "When my brother died."

Jasper actually looked a little bored. She thought the smaller human would have had some sort of sense and perhaps gave her something more meaningful that a book. It wasn't like she could read it.

Connie watched as Jasper stood up and turned her back to her, lying down on her sides like Lion often did when he was bored or just tired.

Connie murmured with dismay, but continued talking.

"It's called 'Frankenstein'." she said. "I don't know why, but this book used to be my brother's favorite. I would read it all the time when I felt sad."

Jasper didn't look back at her. She only acknowledged Connie by the particularly rude grunt from her throat. Connie made a face. Steven was sitting beside her and shrugged his shoulders. Well, it was worth a shot, anyway.

Connie stared down at the book in her hands. She didn't realize she had started crying until Steven comforted her with a hug. Jasper's ears caught the sound and she glanced back with a small growling in her throat.

Her features smoothed out a little when she noticed the tears.

 _"Jasper, it's alright if you need to cry."_

 _"Jasper's don't cry, idiot."_

 _"You were her favorite. No one would blame you."_

 _Rhodonite was alone in the garden. Others had been left to become the massive vines that surrounded the beautiful statues. It was a fate they had chosen for themselves. To disappear into nothing with their Diamond._

 _Jasper was standing among the dead garden, dressed in her cloak. She looked regal and proud, as all Jasper's of her kind were known to look. But she had changed since being affiliated with Yellow Diamond._

 _She was no longer smiling, unless she was close to destroying a Rebel gem. She almost seemed emotionless, thanks to Yellow Diamond's influence._

 _Jasper's eyes wandered around, studying each detail of the once-living garden. She gave a rather rude snort._

 _"Why do you still try to heal this...this gem forsaken place?" she snapped._

 _Rhodonite herself looked almost...pale. Her black and pink colors were faded, perhaps from overworking herself. She no longer held her head high and chatted excitedly. No, her eyes simply looked heavy and sad. Jasper didn't like it._

 _"It's my duty." Rhodonite replied, now very quiet herself._

 _Jasper scoffed. "You have the Diamond Authority to serve. That is your duty."_

 _"My duty was to Pink Diamond..."_

 _"Yeah?" Jasper spat, her voice high with rage. "Well Pink Diamond is gone!"_

 _It was the first real show of emotion that Jasper had displayed in such a long time. Rhodonite arched her thin eyebrows, not certain how to respond. And she usually had responses of every sort to give._

 _Instead, Jasper calmed herself, tucking her hands into her cloak. She turned with a swift huff and her voice even once more - albeit filled with mockery._

 _"You don't get it..."_

 _She left without another word._

 _When she had returned the following day, she found Rhodonite's gem shards lying on the floor where she had once stood. A knife was nearby._

 _The sight wasn't something Jasper hadn't seen before. She had known that Gems often times shattered themselves. For honor. For peace. Whatever the excuse had been, it was never something she was fully prepared for._

 _Some gems just couldn't shake their loyalty._

 _"What a waste."_

O

Pearl was suspicious.

She had seen Connie and Steven hurry out of the temple every day for the passed week now. Garnet herself didn't show signs of worry, so that should have been enough to pacify her. But then again, Garnet often times knew what was going on and allowed for things to play out as they did.

Meanwhile, Jasper was tugging on the bars of her cell. She snarled, spewing saliva from her jagged teeth. When it wouldn't budge, she angrily smacked her head into it, causing it to dent. Surprised, Jasper stared at the bar for a few moments before taking a step back.

Charging forward, she smashed her head into the bars, knocking them completely loose. Stepping out of the makeshift cave, Jasper looked around the Beta Kindergarten before taking off.

A few hours later, Steven and Connie made their way through the Beta Kindergarten.

"...I don't know..." Steven was saying, "Maybe Jasper's just set in her ways. I'm starting to think she's only going to see my mom and not me. Maybe we should tell Garnet. She usually knows what to do."

"I...don't think they're going to like that you took Jasper's gem." Connie pointed out.

"Yeah..." Steven agreed. "But I had to try something. We weren't getting anywhere. And Jasper's the only one who - "

He stopped, gave a terrified cry. Connie looked up and her eyes widened in horror.

They were standing next to the cell that once held the corrupted gem. For the longest time, neither one of them could speak.

"Uh-oh." Steven finally said.

Connie looked at him with a weak smile. "So, should I tell them or you?"

Meanwhile, Jasper was scaling across a bridge. She spotted a dam nearby which she used to soak her great mane. The icy cold water felt better than anything she'd experienced the passed few days. She heard the sound of an approaching car and lifted her head. A snarl ripped from her throat as the man behind the wheel screamed at the sight of her.

She gave a bellowing roar at the man. He quickly put the car in reverse and drove backwards, still screaming the entire time.

Jasper shook the water from her body like a dog, sending splashes of it everywhere. Finally, she looked up at the sight of Beach City nearby. As far as she knew, the Rebel gems were there. Her memory was still fragmented from her corruption, but she would never forget the place where it all started.

Where it led up to this.

She attempted to formulate words, but her disfigured jaw and mismatched face only wrought forth horrible snarls and hisses.

Connie and Steven were rushing through the house after hurrying into the warp pad. They passed the gems as they were all doing their own thing; Pearl and Amethyst in the kitchen and Garnet working on cleaning.

"We have to hurry!" Steven hissed. "Her tracks led us to Beach City!"

Pearl lifted her head. "Hold it." she warned.

The two froze at the door. Pearl approached them, folding her arms across her chest. "What's that about tracks, I heard?" she asked.

Steven and Connie were almost sweating now. Their uncomfortable, frightened faces made Pearl completely understand that more was going on.

"Don't think I don't know you two have been sneaking off a lot lately," Pearl continued, "Food going missing. Not to mention these little late-night trips. Steven? What's going on here?"

Steven was nervous and sweating profusely. Connie spoke up immediately, her words rushing out of her in a complete, run-on sentence.

"Jasper's loose!" she cried. "And it's probably our fault!"

The gems in the house all stared at them in shocked silence. Amethyst had been in the middle of eating a donut that fell from her hands at the moment those words left her lips.


	2. Chapter Two: Arrow on the Doorpost

~O~

 **Chapter Two: Arrow on the Doorpost**

A woman screamed.

Jasper's eye opened and she grumbled at the noise. Lifting her head, she noticed two human women who had stumbled into the gem structure and noticed her. They had no idea what they were looking at and with the way they stared, Jasper only grew angry.

She swatted them aside and quickly hurried outside.

"It's her!"

Jasper's ears caught the familiar sound of the Renegade Pearl. She turned with a high, vengeful snarl in her throat. They were coming... Rose - though she called herself "Steven", the Pearl, the fused one and the Runt; but didn't expect to see the other gems stare at her that way.

They hadn't attacked her yet, probably because they were far too haunted and confused by what they were seeing.

"What..." Pearl gasped. "Why does she look like that?"

Steven shrugged his shoulders sheepishly. "I used my healing spit on her?"

He was aware of a number of sets of eyes looking down at him. He expected them to act surprised and simply carry out their task of possibly poofing Jasper. Instead, they looked horribly confused and silent.

"I've never seen it work like this." Pearl managed to gasp out. "Not even with Rose. She can't be healing it on her own... Can she?"

No one had a change to answer. Jasper gave a heavy, wheezing shriek. She wanted to be left alone, but she was fully ready to fight if she had to. She clenched her fist tightly, charging at the gems on two legs now.

That was new.

Steven could only watch in shock as the gems and Jasper engaged in battle. The corrupted gem swung with one good arm, snapped with her vicious teeth. Jasper's claws cut through the air, smacking Pearl aside like she weighed nothing. Amethyst wrapped her whip around Jasper's throat, tugging backwards. Screams and shrieks from the abberation cut through the air. Fragments of words that could have only been gibberish.

Steven stoop up, huffing once. He raised his shirt a little, showing his gem.

"Jasper!" he shouted.

Jasper had almost delivered a massive blow of her clawed arm down at Garnet, but the fusion was holding her back with two hands. Jasper's strength was slowly inching Garnet into the ground. The good half of her face pursed with effort and she stared down at her with absolute wrath.

Pearl had been thrown into the ground and she groaned, struggling to lift herself. When Steven had called her name, Jasper looked over at him.

"It's me you want!" he cried, "Come and get ME!"

That was all the incentive Jasper needed.

She gave a furious scream and swatted Garnet aside, pursuing Steven now as he quickly turned heel and ran.

"Steven!" Pearl cried.

"It's okay! I know what I'm doing!" Steven yelled back to them. He groaned in fright, fleeing down toward the beach. "I think!"

Jasper's jaws gnashed. If he didn't do something, he was done for. So, Steven quickly turned heel, tossed his shield at her feet, sending her stumbling forward with a loud roar. He just had to get her grounded enough... But Jasper charged with a fierce roar, eye flashing madly. Steven raised his bubble, the moment Jasper dove at him.

A flash of pink light.

A small, infant laugh.

 _"What? What is this?"_

Jasper was seeing memories flash through her field of vision. None of which belonged to Rose. She saw Steven as an infant, happily cooing whenever Garnet or the other gems made ridiculous faces. There was another human who held Steven, who cradled him with such love and adoration.

 _"These...memories. They're not hers!"_

Gems were capable of memory projection, that wasn't news to Jasper. A Quartz was capable of doing so on a much larger scale, sometimes under great stress.

I'm not Rose, I'm Steven.

Jasper saw nothing that pertained to the war. She saw nothing that Rose had done. All she saw were these pointless images that meant nothing to her.

O

Steven's bubble had forced Jasper backwards. The corrupted Gem fell onto her back, entangled in a mess of sand and damp hair. The other gems and Connie were making their way toward the scene, moments as Jasper managed to get to her feet.

"Steven!" Connie cried, helping him stand.

Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl quickly worked to poof Jasper, but Steven held up a hand. "Wait!" he cried. "Listen!"

But no one was going to listen now. It took the combined effort to hold Jasper down; Amethyst's whip, Garnet's grip on her jaws and Pearl's spear at her neck. Jasper gave Steven one final look; it was a stare that could buckle multitudes of Diamonds.

Seconds, she disappeared in a poof of smoke and her gem laid harmlessly at Garnet's feet. She formed a bubble around it, but Steven quickly made his way over to her.

"Wait!" he said.

"Steven." Garnet began, gently but firmly. She was shaken from what had happened, but otherwise maintained a calm facade. "I will take Jasper's gem back to the Burning Room. Explanations can come later."

With that tone, enough to chill granite, Steven knew that was going to happen. So he had no argument.

And later than night, Steven spent the rest of the day explaining to Garnet and the others why he did what he did. Peridot had been laughing the entire time; mostly because she found it silly how Steven thought he could change Jasper's mind. She probably didn't mean it to be cruel, but it was just her usual behavior.

Amethyst seemed willing to hear Steven out. Perhaps because she and Jasper had both been made on Earth. There was that connection between them, despite their differences in personality. Steven had tried to find sleep afterwards while they gathered together to talk about it themselves.

"It is a little odd that Jasper's corruption had changed." Amethyst was saying. "Do you think she was really...doing it to herself?"

Pearl made a thoughtful sound. "I don't know, I thought that too."

"That would be impossible." Peridot said, with a snort. "Corruption can't be cured."

"That we know of." Garnet corrected. "Maybe Steven was onto something."

Lapis made a sound of disbelief. "You're not seriously thinking what I KNOW you're thinking."

"Of course not. But Steven has had experience with these sorts of things before," Garnet had quickly answered to assure the others. "It wouldn't be fair to assume. He's done things none of us have ever seen in the history of Gem-kind. We should give him a chance."

"Try to fix Jasper? Good luck." Peridot quipped.

"What we saw today was testament that it is possible. If this proves that corruption is reversable, we can save more gems than we've ever dreamed."

"And you want Jasper to be the first gem we save?" Lapis snorted at the thought.

They had thought Steven was sound asleep, but he was listening to their conversations through his blankets. Lion was sleeping at his bedside. Or so he thought. The little poke of a nose through the blanket told him otherwise. Steven sighed, but it was entirely too loud for what he wanted. He quickly gasped, covering his mouth with one hand.

The gems looked up toward his room at the noise.

"Steven?" Garnet said. She paused and tilted her head. "We know you're not asleep."

A moment of silence.

"Yes I am." Steven answered, meekly.

"Come down." Garnet said, her voice assuring. "Let's talk."

Steven sighed. Lion followed him as he climbed out of bed and made his way down the stairs. The other gems regarded him.

"Steven, we know what you were trying to do." Garnet continued, speaking evenly. "Taking on healing Jasper was quite the endeavor. Somehow you were able to heal her corruption on a larger scale than you had with the Centipeedle."

Steven looked up at her sadly. "Jasper knows more about mom and Pink Diamond than any of us. We need to try and help her. I mean...isn't that the point of what we're doing? To help gems?"

Everyone looked at Garnet, wondering how she'd handle this particular question. The fusion took a moment before she sighed heavily through her nose.

O

Steven carried Jasper's bubbled gem in his hands.

The other Gems followed nearby: Lapis and Peridot remained back at the barn. They were going into a cavern filled with water and glowing blue falls. Steven asked Garnet what this place was.

"Gem Kind took to referring it to the Falls of Enlightenment." she explained. "These caves were built by higher caste gems of Blue Diamond's court. It is where gems could go to seek answers to all of their questions."

"Do you think it might help?" Steven asked.

"I don't know." Garnet told him, hesitantly. It seemed as if Sapphire spoke more through her than Ruby. "For a long time, the answers were always laid out in front of me. I remember coming here long ago..."

Steven looked down at the bubbled gem, hesitant. "Will she be able to leave?"

"I will make sure that she doesn't."

Steven didn't ask how. He was concerned about letting Jasper loose, but in the same sense, he still needed answers to questions himself. Like, why Jasper was suddenly healing herself. Or at least, it seemed she was. Maybe he would find his answers here too.

He looked up at Garnet. "Can't you use your future vision?"

"Jasper's corruption prevents me from seeing anything having to do with her." Garnet explained. "It's like...she's surrounded by a thick fog. And in that fog, all I can see is pain. Anger."

Steven sighed, making a face. "Okay, here we go."

Pearl and Amethyst stood at the sidelines, weapons at the ready. "She tries anything, we take her out." Pearl promised.

The gem was popped free of its bubble and they watched as it lifted into the air. Beams of light shot out in horrific, bright ribbons. First, they could make out her humanoid body, but it became terribly twisted and deformed into her corrupted shape.

She still looked the same when she appeared - partially corrupted and jaws dripping of saliva. The gems tensed around her with their weapons held high. Steven had his shield prepared should he need it.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Amethyst whispered to Garnet.

"Nope." Garnet answered.

Jasper's jaws snapped and she gave a terrifying hiss.

"Just try me." Pearl threatened, aiming her spear at her.

Jasper looked down at Steven, her frazzled memories returning. She remembered how he had projected his memories to her in some way. How he had no recollection of ever even knowing her. What did it mean? Her mind was a red haze of agony and frustration.

She quickly backed away, clutching her face with one clawed hand.

 _It's a trick..._

 _To manipulate me..._

But then, she caught sight of her image in the reflecting pools nearby. She frowned, approaching it and staring into the shimmering, blue water.

She saw her reflection. Saw the hideous thing staring back.

But then, the reflection shimmered again, showing her without her corruption; she was back to the gem she was supposed to be, the perfect Quartz.

Then she saw an image of Steven in the water before it disappeared.

Answers never spoken, only shown in vague images of NOTHING.

Jasper hissed furiously, slapping the water with one good hand. What did these Falls try to tell her? A bit of her broken memories told her that this place was important to gems. At one point or another. She never spent much time here after the war, but she remembered that Sapphires had been made in the Enlightening Falls.

 _"Do you seek answers here? Even a Diamond such as myself must know the truths as they are weaved."_

 _Blue Diamond's voice was always calm. Almost more so than Pink Diamond. She always seemed to speak with a languid tone, one that bordered on dreamlike._

 _She was resting comfortably on a chaise lounge, a long finger swirling through the water. Diamonds didn't seek answers. They WERE the answer; to all questions gems may or may not have had._

 _Blue Diamond's cathedra was sitting nearby as well as her Pearl. She approached only when Blue Diamond beckoned with one finger. The Pearl silently approached her and Blue Diamond whispered something to her._

 _Pink Diamond spoke. "This planet is something else, isn't it?"_

 _"Mm." Blue looked disinterested. "This planet has a sort of charm that most of our conquests have lacked. Though unlike you, I do not pretend to try to understand it. We will take it for our own as we have all the rest." She gestured to the pool. "Pink, quickly. Come here."_

 _Pink made her way closer to her and sat down._

 _"This pool was built for a Diamond, and so it shall receive me. I seek answers that will not be broken as they had with my Sapphire."_

 _Pink nodded her head. "I had heard you were there when they arrived. I'm sorry."_

 _"Do not mourn for my traitorous Sapphire." Blue answered. "You must remember that such things are easy to create. They hold no greater purpose than what they were made for."_

O

"And your dad won't even let you alphabetize the condiments? That's rough."

Steven was talking with PeeDee early that morning, hoping to clear his head a bit after the incident with Jasper. PeeDee was talking about how they'd seen a "weird ugly dog" and Steven laughed nervously.

"Yeah, Ronaldo said it was orange." PeeDee told him. He rolled his eyes and made a face. "I told him there's no such thing as orange dogs. Did he listen? Nope. I said 'stop talking about orange dogs and take the trash out, it's your turn'. BUT he just ran off. Again."

They looked over to the arcade, where Mr. Smiley was pulling out a Zoltron machine. He wiped it down while whistling cheerfully. Steven walked up to him.

"Hi, Mr. Smiley! Is that game new?" he asked.

Mr. Smiley laughed and shook his head. "Not even close. I've had old Zoltron here in storage. You got a quarter? We can see if he still works."

Steven shrugged and reached into his pocket, pulling out a quarter as Mr. Smiley plugged the machine in. Once it started up, the robot spoke in a low drawl.

"I am Zoltron. Robot fortune teller from the future. I know your future, because I am from there."

Steven grinned excitedly. "Whoa!"

Mr. Smiley beamed with pride, patting the machine once. "Go ahead! Ask him anything."

Steven couldn't help himself. "I've just been dying to know!" He held the quarter up. "Will I get that fancy Kazoo I've always wanted?"

He put the quarter in and the Zoltron Robot spoke.

"Your lucky numbers today are.. 16, 47, and W."

Steven made a face and looked up at the man. "Can I have my quarter back?"

Meanwhile, Pearl was busy at the temple, attempting to gather a few things from the floor. She still couldn't understand why they were making any attempt to help Jasper. After everything she had done. But even she couldn't hide her curiosity as to why Jasper's corruption seemed to healing on its own.

Maybe once they found the reason, they could simply bubble her and be done with it.

For now, they would simply tolerate this moment of "peace".

She sighed and looked around at the empty temple; everyone was gone for the day and she was alone. Maybe she could spend this time seeking answers in her own mind. So she sat on the floor, crossed her legs and shut her eyes to meditate.

O

Jasper found this place was much better than the cave. She could swim in the cool, refreshing waters and soak herself for hours on end. But she avoided looking into the pools for signs of anything or answers. Maybe a part of her didn't want the answers to the many questions.

The human who called itself Steven was not Rose Quartz. At least now, she knew that. But that just left many more questions on her already frayed mind.

 _How?_

 _Why?_

 _Where is Rose Quartz?_

 _Why does this human have a gem?_

Connie looked down at Jasper's arm, noticing that her other paw had begun a healing process on its own as well. She looked at Steven with a smile.

"Look at her hand!" she whispered.

Jasper was annoyed. Did she not realize she was sitting in front of her and could hear every whisper she made to the 'Steven'? It was really stupid to act as if she wasn't there.

She looked up with a hiss when Pearl entered the cave. She was holding the music box, completely repaired in her hand.

She met Jasper's gaze and for a moment, there was an odd silence between them. Pearl felt almost stripped by the intensity of the corrupted gem's stare. It wasn't easy to tell if Jasper was just sizing her up or intimidating her for the sake of doing it.

Pearl's gaze fell to the corruption. She was unable to resist her question. She was entirely too curious. "Does that...hurt?" she asked.

Jasper's features smoothed out a little, not quite ready for the question; and from the Renegade Pearl, no less. Yes, it hurt in ways none of them could possibly understand. But Jasper's were made to endure levels of agony and battle. Corruption felt like the very essence of her gem was being split apart in several different places.

Jasper's were made for battle.

And made to suffer.

It was almost easy to ignore. Jasper could take her mind off of it with her memories and what was going on around her. Steven looked up at Jasper and approached, taking a seat in front of her. She knew the fused one was close by; no doubt going to give her trouble at a moment's notice.

She did have questions as to why her corruption was vanishing this way. And the 'Steven' seemed to have been cause of it, with his disgusting secretions. He had the Rose Quartz gem. He was a human with a gem. This definitely warranted scrutiny.

"Steven! It's time to go!" Garnet called from outside the cavern.

Steven nodded. He looked down at a watch on his wrist, gave a little sigh before standing. "Well, I guess it's getting late." he said.

Connie stood up with him. "Should we really leave Jasper alone?" she whispered back to him.

"It'll be fine." Steven assured her. "Garnet says so."

Jasper ignored them. Her eyes fluttered. She was exhausted. Gems rarely needed to sleep as humans did, but it seemed as if in this form, her physical body was wearing down quicker. She knew that some corrupted gems tired after battle.

It made sense. A gem wasn't meant to push forward with such...disease.

Steven and Connie left the caverns. As soon as they were out, Garnet pushed an enormous boulder in front of the mouth of the cave. Steven and Connie watched her with a mixture of confusion and doubt.

"Is that going to hold her?" Steven asked.

"Trust me, Steven. Not even a corrupted gem can resist the allure of the Falls of Enlightenment." Garnet explained. "Still, I would like to be safe."

"What do you mean 'not even a corrupted gem can resist'?" Steven was definitely curious. It sounded interesting and dangerous all at the same time.

"How can I explain it?" Garnet began, as they started walking away. "It is a place of tranquility... Inner peace. What Jasper truly needs right now."

As they left, Jasper spent her time sleeping. Dreaming of the day when she had been assigned to Yellow Diamond, after Pink's demise.

 _Jasper paced back and forth in the court. She was frantic to get out there and take Rose Quartz's Gem. She wanted to shatter it slowly, painfully. Yellow Diamond sat quietly in the cathedra, focused on a holographic screen in front of her. Her Pearl watched Jasper's pacing with dismay._

 _She, like all Diamonds, sat with a languid grace, like a contented familiar on Homeworld. Though her voice was cold, condescending and strict, she had been listening to Jasper's tirade about "crushing the traitor" for a few moments now._

 _"Jasper, enough."_

 _Her words were calm, but it carried that warning severity that made Jasper halt immediately in her pace. She hadn't realized how long she had been doing so, but she looked down and noticed the scuff marks of her boots on the pristine floor._

 _"You will have the opportunity to find our traitor." Yellow continued. "But I do not want her to be shattered just yet."_

 _"What?" Jasper exclaimed, momentarily forgetting her place._

 _"A gem who led a Rebellion against her own kind..." Yellow's gaze darkened, became something dangerous now. Her voice dropped lower, enough to buckle the walls around them. "I do not want it to be swift. For what she has done... Shattering Pink Diamond..."_

 _Yellow Diamond never broke her ray of composure. But there it was, just a fraction of a second as it passed in her gaze._

 _"You have been assigned to me," she continued, her voice returning to its usual calm. "And I need the utmost confidence that you will serve me."_

 _Jasper withered internally._

I don't want to.

 _"Kneel, Jasper."_

 _When the words left Yellow Diamond's lips, Jasper dropped to her knees before her. Yellow Diamond regarded the Quartz soldier with a certain degree of greed. No longer Pink Diamond's, but hers._

 _"Who do you serve?" Yellow Diamond asked._

 _Jasper started to answer, but she fell short of her response. She wanted to say 'Pink Diamond'. It was always Pink Diamond._

I do not serve you.

 _But she responded anyway, rather emptily. "You."_

O

 _The sounds of war._

 _Gems falling around her. Some shattered to pieces._

 _Jasper charged through the battlefield with a loud cry; her spear tightly clenched in hand as she surged through the scorched earth. She trampled over exhausted gems who begged for help, while leading her own troops toward the army of Rebels._

 _A Cymophane rushed alongside Jasper, grinning widely. She wielded a set of spiked gauntlets. A young, brash soldier, not unlike Jasper's. They were Yellow Diamond's foot soldiers. Ones who held more energy than a Jasper._

 _Also, they were overeager._

 _The Cymophane cackled with glee, leaping onto the back of a gem Rebel. A large, thin Topaz. One of Blue Diamond's court._

 _The Cymophane laughed, rolling her eyes as she was swung about. She dug her gauntlets into the Topaz's throat._

 _"Blah, blah, blah..." she said, "You Rebels talk too much!"_

 _Jasper shook her head, managing a scoff. She never understood why Yellow Diamond made these things. They were ridiculous soldiers. It was unusual considering that most of the gems under her were much different in personality._

 _There was a gem who had once belonged to Pink Diamond, Kunzite. She functioned as a military healer, the same as Rose Quartz once had. She was small and possessed very long arms, long fingers and clear, glittering robes. Her eyes looked constantly sleepy._

 _Though her reach wasn't nearly as great as Rose; she was limited to powders and healing salves for gem injuries. Unlike Rose, who could naturally heal with a simple touch, but they were useless without their tools._

 _"Hey."_

 _Kunzite looked up at her. "Yes?"_

 _"We're moving to the Inner Diamond Sanctum. Let's go." Jasper ordered._

 _Kunzite nodded her head and stood up. "Are you to be my escort?"_

 _"I am."_

 _Jasper knelt down on one knee, allowing Kunzite to climb onto her back. She wrapped her long arms around Jasper's neck and the larger gem surged through the chaos of battle. She ducked and jumped to avoid cannon fire from nearby Rebel weaponry._

 _"This is proving to be dangerous, Jasper." Kunzite said, in her ear. "We should take the tunnel systems. They haven't been used in centuries."_

 _Jasper sighed impatiently. "Fine."_

 _She raced down deep into several trenches, digging her way through a small doorway; it was partially submerged by scorched earth. She grunted with effort, helping Kunzite through. They ended up inside a darkened tunnel. Kunzite raised one hand, producing a lovely pink flame at the end of her fingertips._

 _"These tunnels were used by lower caste gems to transport materials for construction," Kunzite explained. "Directly to and from the Inner Diamond Sanctum. I know the way."_

 _"Fine. Lead on." Jasper ordered._

 _Kunzite nodded her acknowledgement and led the trip through the dark, damp tunnels. She recognized the gem language carved in the walls. Some of which were in various dialects from gems of different makes._

 _Jasper herself was made to be a gem of high status. Yet, she was a warrior; she could play the part, but never understand the language. Kunzite had known her from after Pink Diamond's destruction and was there when she had been made._

 _Most gems would consider them to be nothing more than just close associates. Jasper had nothing in the ways of friends and nor did she need friends in a time of war. But Kunzite didn't pester her the way other gems had, she was a pleasant reminder of what had been destroyed, maybe? Jasper didn't like to think about it and just accepted her presence for what it was._

 _"Do you think about her?" Kunzite suddenly asked._

 _Jasper snapped out of her thoughts with a snort. "What?"_

 _"Pink Diamond. Our matriarch. What was she like?"_

 _Jasper wasn't ready for the question. In fact, it made her bristle a little. Her voice became cold and biting once more._

 _"Don't."_

 _Kunzite was calm when she answered. "I see. I confess myself envious, my friend." she replied, turning a corner. "To have known her before my creation. She must have been something to behold. You have memory and all I possess is records."_

 _"And?" Jasper said, annoyance in her tone._

 _"I'm afraid a simple record is not comparable to a living being."_

 _Jasper couldn't argue._

 _They found their way at a set of double doors. Jasper moved forward, giving them a hard push. She grunted with effort, all the while Kunzite praised her from the sidelines._

 _"Just a little more!" she coached._

 _Jasper stopped what she was doing, turned and gave her a stern frown. Kunzite laughed; that bubbly, friendly laugh that she was famous for._

 _"Forgive me, I thought you needed a little boost in morale." she said._

 _Jasper rolled her eyes with a grunt. She pushed the doors open and the sound of them creaking loudly pierced the air. The pair stepped out into an enormous courtyard, where gems were working on barricading the enormous doors in front of them. Decorated in the image of the Diamonds._

 _"Wait here." Jasper told Kunzite._

 _She nodded her head. "As you wish."_

 _Jasper made her way to the main gates to receive a status report while Kunzite observed hurt and battle-damaged gems. She decided to start healing them as was her purpose here._

 _Then, the commotion in the entire courtyard was silenced at the sound of heavy footsteps. The ground itself shook as something started approaching. Jasper and several soldier gems peered through the cracks in the walls._

 _They were horrified to see an enormous fused gem making its way toward the Sanctum. It had eight arms, long, curled hair, two faces fused to the same head and a rose symbol printed on a thin, almost skeletal frame. A white, flowering gown stretched out across its shoulders. Its colors were of various pink, violet and white._

 _Several soldier gems were standing outside of the Sanctum, attempting to usher other Gems inside. They were frozen by the sight of the monstrosity._

 _"Oh my stars!" a Gem cried, from somewhere outside._

 _The fusion turned its head toward them, eyes glowing almost white. It lowered its body, charging full force toward the Sanctum. Jasper's eyes widened in horror._

 _"Cannons!" she shouted. "Fire at it!"_

 _"The cannons aren't charged!" a gem soldier cried._

 _"JUST DO IT!"_

 _Cannons of light were fired, sending bright, powerful blasts at the fusion. But the shots were reflected by the presence of an enormous pink shield appearing in front of it. A shield bearing the symbol of Rose Quartz. Jasper's eyes widened at the sight._

 _That fusion was Rose. Or at least, part of her._

 _"ROSE!" she bellowed._

 _The gem fusion reflected each blow of the cannons and came tumbling through the walls as if they were made of paper. Rubble and gems were tossed about. Some were crushed under the weight of enormous chunks of wall. Others vanishing in puffs of smoke._

 _Jasper had unfortunately been thrown into a wall before she could even think to challenge the fusion. Luckily her helmet protected her gem from receiving damage. She struggled to right herself, somewhat dizzy from her flight through the air._

 _"J-Jasper..."_

 _The pained, soft whisper drew her attention toward Kunzite, who was clutching her abdomen in two hands. Jasper's eyes widened and she quickly rushed to her side, moments as the gem collapsed._

 _"Let me see!" Jasper hissed, her voice becoming higher with distress._

 _Kunzite shook her head weakly. She tried to refuse Jasper's anxious hands as they made an effort to pull her fingers away.. "No, it's alright!" she hissed, "I barely felt it. I - "_

 _Jasper managed to pull her hands free and noticed that Kunzite's gem had been cracked horribly down the middle._

 _The enormous fusion was making its way deeper into the Sanctum, taking barrages of weapons and cannon fire._

 _"It's alright, Jasper, let me be..." Kunzite barely managed to breathe out._

 _Jasper looked around frantically for Kunzite's bag. She found the vial of healing salve, but it had been shattered on the concrete, its contents poured out onto the ground. Jasper easily picked up Kunzite with one arm while trying to scoop up as much salve as she could._

 _"Come here!" Jasper shouted to several other gems. "Help me!"_

 _Jasper sat down and quickly worked on attempting to cover Kunzite's Gem. "Is it enough?" she panted, her voice shaking a little. "Is it going to work?"_

 _Kunzite shook her head slowly._

 _A flicker of light. Her physical form deteriorating._

 _"It's okay, Jasper," she soothed._

 _"No, it's not, you idiot!" Jasper spat, her voice betraying her pain. "I'm trying to help you and you won't even - "_

 _"It's okay..." she mumbled. "It's okay..."_

 _There was a sound, a weapon being taken and Jasper looked back, horrified by the sight of a spear being aimed at her. By a Topaz. She looked sympathetic._

 _Jasper looked at her in a mixture of fury and agony. "What do you think you're doing?"_

 _"We should end it now. She's in pain." the gem said._

 _Jasper snarled, taking the spear by the blade end. She forced it out of the Topaz's hands and gave her a look that could bring down multitudes. "You will NOT point that weapon at her!" she snarled, showing her teeth._

 _"Jasper, we can't save her and she's helpless out here!" a Peridot had somehow been there. Jasper hadn't noticed her._

 _"Jasper, if we don't, she'll be shattered by enemy gems! Do you want that?"_

Jasper remembered how Kunzite had thanked her when she did it. How naive she had been...

The war was fresh. Wounds still wide open.

Jasper had been so young then. So driven by her own pain. Until she had learned to harness it in battle and to give her enemies the suffering she was made to endure.

It's what they all deserved.


	3. Chapter Three: Self-Help

~O~

 **Chapter Three: Self-Help**

Jasper had been lying on her side, struggling to find a peaceful sleep

In her dream world, Jasper found herself standing in the familiar realm of the Beta Kindergarten - the place where she'd first opened her eyes. She looked down at her hands, noticing that they were the horrible claws of the creature she was, but her legs were as they had been before. It was as if her form struggled to return to normal and maintain its damage.

Turning toward a ruined Injector, she now saw her face in the reflection; a hideous, frightening set of jaws filled with razor teeth. Her yellow eyes were there as well, but her head and back had the sick, green spikes jutting out of her.

"Jasper."

The gem looked up with a wide-eyed hiss, turning toward - much to her horror - an image of Yellow Diamond. Cruel, sneering and cold as she had always been; she was an image of malevolence here in her frayed mind. But Yellow was also honest in her ways. Always honest. Even when it hurt, at least there was truth in it. Jasper respected her for that much.

"You were supposed to return, Jasper. Return to Homeworld!" she hissed, pacing around the gem like a dangerous predator ready to strike. "But I blame myself for letting you live after what happened! You should have saved her! Now look at you! The big stupid beast who cannot stop eating! When your master commands it, you STOP!"

A heel violently came down upon her and Jasper didn't even look up nor defend herself from it. She shut her eyes and accepted the cruelty. Her teeth gnashed. Her claws hung limply at her sides.

"You deserve this." Yellow Diamond whispered, voice shaking with hatred.

 _I know._

Another laugh and the image of Yellow Diamond suddenly vanished in a swirl of smoke. Jasper opened her eyes, looked up at the shocking sight of a mimic of herself standing on top of the Injector. Only she wasn't corrupted; she stood completely unharmed and as new as the day that Jasper herself had first emerged.

Something was different about her; the markings on her face were facing the opposite direction. Everything about this image reversed what Jasper currently was. Even though it was an odd element, Jasper seemed to feel a certain familiarity with the thing facing her. It left her belly fueled with a loathing that came from nowhere and yet, somewhere she'd known all the same.

Jasper watched the mirrored version of herself; she growled lowly, glowering at it with hate in her stare. The Jasper Illusion chuckled, leaning against the leg of an Injector.

"She's a bad dog, isn't she?" she sneered, "I think it's time to put her down permanently."

Jasper snarled again, clicking her teeth before she clenched her fists. The Illusion laughed out loud, mimicking the gesture before charging with a fierce yell. Jasper charged as well.

Their fists contacted each other's faces; Jasper gave an almost violent shriek, seizing the Illusion with one hand by the front of her uniform. The Illusion clutched the side of Jasper's massive jaws, trying to twist her away. They grappled across the dry, barren ground,; attempting to topple one another and gain the upper hand.

The Illusion laughed with mirth, producing her axe with her free hand. Jasper had done the same and they separated, weapons colliding together. The Illusion cackled once more, watching the angry, half-corrupted gem.

"Come on! You know I'll win!" she spat.

Jasper shoved her back, twisted her axe in enough strength to knock the Illusion backwards a few paces. It did little to sway her completely; she was already back on her heels and swinging her axe with a fierce, volatile swipe. Jasper ducked to avoid it, but a kick to her midsection sent her staggering.

The Illusion raised two hands now and Jasper was suddenly levitated by an invisible force. She writhed and kicked, uselessly trying to be free from the unseen power lifting her. With a wave of those hands, the Illusion threw Jasper into the cliff wall.

Then again in the ground.

Once more against the wall and into the Injector. The Illusion laughed wildly with mirth, watching Jasper slowly stagger to her feet.

"Face it, Jasper; you'll never be anything else," she hissed, making her way toward the partially corrupted gem. "We've done this time and time again. I always win."

Jasper's teeth snapped with a bestial snarl and she seized her axe, swinging it. It made contact and cleaved through the Illusion, dissipating its shape into a stream of black smoke. A cruel chuckle filled the air and the smoke made its way into a split in the ground.

Jasper gave chase, diving into the split and landing in an industrial chamber. Her mind had been nothing more than fragments of memory and yet she knew this place as a processing hall for harvesting gems. The Illusion drifted through streams of water, weaving like an inky smear. She took form again, hiding behind a veil of tattered pink cloth.

"Come on, Jasper! Let's see you win!" she snarled, with a playful beckon of two hands.

Jasper stalked toward her, axe at the ready. Her eyes practically glowed with all the force of her hatred. She started to swing it, but froze in mid swipe. The Illusion had jerked slightly, preparing for the attack that didn't come. She glanced up and noticed that Jasper was staring at a sculpture of Pink Diamond overhead.

A grin lit the Illusion's face and she watched Jasper's weapon hand shake. "Ah. There it is." she hissed, triumphant. "The thing that drives and weakens you."

Jasper dropped the axe with a loud clatter. She fell to her knees and the Illusion laughed loudly. She walked over, delivering a wicked kick to Jasper's face. The gem stumbled backwards, falling onto her back. She curled up, clawing at her eyes with a series of animal moans.

"We always end up here, don't we, Jasper?" the Illusion hissed, crouching over her. "You've always let me win this battle of wills because you're weak. You've always been weak."

It's true.

Jasper shut her eyes, refusing to look up at the Illusion. Her mouth formed several wounded animal sounds; pitiful and helpless, she would have denied ever making the noises in any other circumstance. But she couldn't help doing it this time. The Illusion straightened, looked up toward the sculpture of Pink Diamond.

"Now, you know how broken you truly are," she said, "And how I am the one who breaks you ever time."

Suddenly, the illusion stiffened; a dull, pained choke escaped her lips. Jasper looked up now, confused and shocked to see a sword punch its way through the shadowy being's chest. The illusion's form vanished with a ethereal screech, leaving her alone with something new.

It looked almost exactly like her, but this new jasper wore pink, sharp body armor. She had elaborate jewels adorned in her great mane of hair and bright pink eyes. She wielded a large broadsword decorated with interesting markings of the Gem Language. Something about this jasper spoke of strength and pride. Everything that Jasper herself was not.

"That's enough of that," the jasper said, staring disdainfully upwards with an air of grace.

She looked down at Jasper and her features softened. "Hello, Jasper. It's time we talked."

O

"Now, talk to me."

Jasper had been sitting there in silence, watching the figure sitting across from her with annoyance and a few angry snarls. It was not to be trusted. Surely, this was a new threat to her. It had to be. Still, at the request, she gestured to her teeth with two hands as if to show her that speaking was impossible. The being raised one hand calmly. She knew what the gem was trying to say.

"Calm yourself, Jasper. All you need do is think of the words you wish to say. I will hear you." she assured her.

Jasper stared up at her, clenching her teeth a few times with a series of clicks and hisses. It took some mental will, a little bit of groaning on her end before she managed to think of what she wanted to say.

[Who are you?]

Jasper blinked, hearing her voice aloud as if she'd actually spoken. It surprised her to hear it again after being corrupted. The figure smiled her approval, nodded once before standing.

"I am a voice, of sorts," she explained, "A certain part of you that still exists deep within the recesses of your very being. I drive you forward and fight back the thing that haunts you every day. Such is how it is for all of us, I suppose."

Jasper watched her suspiciously. [What do I call you?]

"You can call me Self, if you so desire," the being answered, as if it were no concern - they spoke as if they were old war comrades, "That thing you fought? That was Self-Destruction. It is a thing most opposite to me and quite childish in its antics. We may find many others here as we wander the remains of your mind, piecing it back together."

[And how are we going to do that?] Jasper seemed doubtful.

"That's all up to you," Self explained, "For now? We start walking into the blind realm of your mind."

She said nothing else on the matter, but started forward. Jasper hesitated, a very sharp sensation of uncertainty filling her. What would they do? What would they find? If this was really her mind working to fix itself, would she want to see any more? She had thoughts and ideas, but never had she physically explored its depths this way. It was new.

But right now, she saw no other way out and felt compelled to follow. So she started forward, walking alongside Self. Her mind wandered a bit and she suddenly felt curious about the image of Yellow Diamond.

[Why was she in my mind? Yellow Diamond?] she asked.

Self watched the road ahead of them; broken stone that filled itself with grass and dead plants. A few flowers had tried to grow, but had been ensnared by thorns.

"Yellow Diamond has become a part of you," Self explained, "Much like a parasite does to an organic being. She is your leader, but the source of your present pain."

Jasper looked confused. [I don't understand.]

"You will. In time."

Jasper rolled her eyes, a bit annoyed by the vague remark. Then, she looked around, noticing how the environment had slowly changed in their trek. They were now standing in a dead forest of dried, gnarled trees, littered with statues of Homeworld and crystals. Curious, Jasper approached one and raised a gentle hand to it.

[Where are we?]

"This is your mind, Jasper. Where do you think we are?" Self asked.

Jasper looked around for a few more moments, considering the environment. [It...looks familiar,] she said, [I think I've seen this before. It's hard to remember.]

"You _have_ seen it before," Self agreed, nodding her head once, "This place was where you first fought a Crystal Gem army fighting to make their way through the Kindergarten. This is where the fight to protect your colony began. Remember how much you put into it? Remember your pride?"

Jasper looked up at the sight of several shadowy figures dart passed her, shouting out in fragments of Gem. Their voices where ghostly and haunting, as if they spoke from far away. They were nothing more than silhouettes with glowing eyes. The memories themselves seemed far off and distant with her broken mind.

[I was here before. This is where I took down the entire battalion on my own.] Jasper continued, watching the scene play out, [I remember feeling victorious then.]

"Such was how it was for you in battle. It's what we're made for. It's the one thing we succeed in. Here, you are no failure."

Jasper exhaled at the thought. [I still failed either way.]

"Did you? Or was it a lasting impression? Many gems feel they fail somewhere in their existence, but if not for you, there would have been very little Homeworld gems left in that battle."

Jasper shut her eyes. She didn't see it that way.

Suddenly, there was a loud, bellowing laugh that filled the air. The two looked up at the sight of...another fragment of Jasper's emotions standing there on a nearby floating rock. She stood with her arms folded and a haughty grin on her face; her uniform was cleaner than Jasper had seen even herself and her eyes flared a bright yellow.

"Ahaha!" she cried, "What do we have here?"

Self looked at Jasper. "This is Pride." she explained, "Another part of your mind. Quite a dashing thing, isn't she?"

Pride studied Jasper for the longest moment. "So, what brings you here? We haven't talked in a while!"

"Pride, we must find the source of her corruption. I'm sure you've seen that...the place is really falling apart," Self explained.

"Oh!" Pride's features lit up. "Well, I've seen something that way. But I've got too much important things to do myself."

She had pointed toward a broken pathway that led into a chasm. Jasper furrowed her brows, concerned somewhat. She would exercise caution on her trip. Self looked at her.

"Pride speaks truth. What we must face together is further in." she said. "Are you willing?"

Pride paced around Jasper with a smile. "You've really gone off the deep end, haven't you, Jasper?" she told her. "Don't worry! We're undeniably the greatest Quartz made! None can stand against us!"

Jasper gnashed her teeth. This was supposed to be a part of her? She was annoying!

[We are not the Perfect Quartz!] she barked out, [Don't be stupid!]

Pride just smirked at her. "Aren't we?"

There was a path that led into a coliseum and Pride led Jasper toward it. Self followed behind them, quietly observing the entire exchange. The coliseum was filled with spectators cheering Jasper on as she fought a gem monster.

"Remember how they look at you, Jasper," Pride hissed, grinning from ear-to-ear, "Look at how you stand taller than the rest of them. They deserved you. YOU were everything. You single-handedly gave up your life so that they could live. They should be thanking you for what you sacrificed."

Jasper was silent, watching the memory unfold. It was true to some extent; gems had flocked to her side, treating her as a savior of her fallen colony. There had been rewards beyond measure and praise worthy only of a diamond.

But it was hollow.

She knew what she was and how they really looked at her. She was an Earth gem. Ever since the end of the war, all gems from Earth were viewed with scorn and fear. Such lies they had weaved all for the sake of her presence. They hated her, but loved her all the same.

[Lies,] Jasper hissed. [All lies.]

Pride simply backed away, gesturing to the memory. "You can believe anything you want, Jasper. But we're here and we are greater. You've seen those who emerged from the Kindergarten. They're nothing compared to us and you know it."

Jasper regarded her for the longest time. She shook her head, defiant to Pride's words. [No,] she answered, shaking her head, [You're not better. None of us are. We're worse. We let her die and you'll actually sit here and boast about it. But I'm not going to pretend anymore. Covering up my sin with a mask will never change that.]

Pride's eyes widened in horror and disbelief. Then, her features contorted with rage and she lunged forward, but suddenly vanished in a swirl of black smoke. An ethereal screech echoed in the distance and the memory was swathed in dark.

Jasper blinked and glanced around, confused by the departure of Pride.

Self approached and rested a hand on Jasper's shoulder. "Good," she said, "She's gone. For now. You've already begun accepting the past can never be changed. Let's go forward."

Jasper nodded an affirmative. She looked down and was stunned to see her claws had disappeared somewhat. The nails were still hardened and pointed, but it seemed as if they were healing; it must have been brought on by her acceptance.

"We have much work to do, Jasper." Self explained. "Much if you wish to reach the truth of your corrupted form."

They made their way forward and Jasper paused at the sight of spiders walking in a single-file line in front of her; each one had a sharp, cut gemstone on their back, reminiscent of her own gem. She bent down, curious by the sight of them. Self watched her.

"Fleeting thoughts," she explained, "They are small, insignificant. Perhaps they are thoughts you yourself may not remember having."

Jasper plucked one up from the line and studied it. She heard a whisper from the small thing, a hiss of her own voice proclaiming how much she loathed Yellow Diamond.

She dropped the spider and it landed on its back, scurrying after the others.

O

Floating chunks of earth hovered through the air. Self explained that each contained a memory that had been fragmented through the corruption. Jasper glanced up at one that carried a portal framed in smoke. She grunted, launched herself up to it. Self was already there waiting.

Jasper blinked, surprised. Self smiled at her. "I'm a part of you, remember?"

Jasper huffed out. [Let's just go through,] she snapped.

"Is something here of interest?" Self looked at the portal.

[I don't know. I just...have to go through.]

Jasper stepped into the rippling portal, finding herself in a dead chamber filled with scrolls, books and various other papers. It reminded her of the Libraries of Homeworld, but in ruin. Papers danced through the air, carried by a strange wind.

"The Halls of Knowledge," Self mused, "Memories and Gem History kept here. It is here where you learned the true meaning of Despair."

Static echoed around them and Jasper looked up, spotting white static dancing behind the windows. She furrowed her brow, confused by the sight.

[What's that?] she asked.

"The memory's been tampered with," Self explained, "This is what happens when you forcefully repress a horrible experience. It clouds the image, keeps it hidden to protect your mind. Something happened here that hurt you. Badly."

"YOU SHATTERED HER."

Jasper looked up sharply at the sight of a shadowy silhouette of Yellow Diamond, crouched over a shadow silhouette of herself. Her image appeared to have been struck several times, given the way it held its cheek in one hand and arm over its head.

"YOU SHATTERED HER THE MOMENT YOU WERE MADE! YOU SHOULD HAVE PROTECTED HER!"

The harsh voice of Yellow Diamond echoed through the chamber, blended with something else; a deeper, malevolent hiss. Jasper shut her eyes, tears rolling down her cheeks. She didn't want to see this again. It sent a scalding sickness through her throat. She remembered when it had happened. Yellow Diamond had been unable to control herself after it had happened. For a while, anyway.

"Did it happen that way?" Self queried.

[...I don't know.] Jasper was genuinely unsure. When she tried to think about it, she came back with a blank screen of static sounds. [I don't want to see this...]

"You must, I fear," Self said, sadly, "If you are to accept it."

Jasper backed away a few paces and stepped on something soft. A whimper of pain filled the air, followed by a haggard whisper of obscenities.

"Why do you hurt me? Have you no pity?"

Jasper's eyes widened and she followed the voice behind them.

A shuffle of something moving turned both of them toward a bookshelf. A shape was shifting behind it, mumbling under a rough breath. Jasper watched as a hooded figure made her way up to them, dragging several items on her form.

Filthy hands reached up to remove the hood. It was a thing in the image of Jasper; but she was hunched over, eyes a dull sad gray and her form that was once orange, was now the same lifeless color. Her hair was hung loosely in clumps and her lips were chapped.

The most interesting thing about her was that she stood larger than most of the others that Jasper had seen - perhaps even the same height as a diamond. A single long tail circled her form; how odd, but it explained what Jasper had stepped on.

"Here it is, you face Despair," Self continued, "The thing that whispers endless sorrows of a time once passed. Here she wanders in the library of your anguished memories, watching them unfold beyond the point of obsession. Never moving forward, only standing still."

"Oh..." Despair looked down at them with sad, heavy eyes, "Hello, Jasper. Are you going to the center? I wouldn't. It's a horrible thing there. I don't think you want to see it."

Jasper furrowed her brow. Maybe she didn't want to see what waited for her, but she had to. [I don't need your warning. I need to reverse all of this. Whatever it takes.] She gestured to herself as she said it.

Despair wiped her eyes with two hands. "Oh no!" she moaned, "You don't want to see it! It's horrible! It's bad!"

[We need to see it,] Jasper told her, firm in her resolve, [We need to stop it.]

Despair sighed, as if releasing a heavy burden. She gave a small nod before turning, crawling toward a door on her hands and knees. It opened and she wriggled her way out. Jasper and Self followed her and she looked toward a series of floating rocks. Slowly, several of them began to connect to one another, as if like a great puzzle. Despair started forward first.

"I suppose it's time then," she whispered. "Come. I'll take you so far."

Jasper followed her and Self soon did as well.

As Despair walked, she began to weep quietly; the stories she told of her weakness and her pain was enough to make Jasper sick hearing them again. She didn't want to talk about any of it, so she just listened. The entire time, Self had been silent and just watching her.

"...it's a heavy life we live," Despair said, watching the path in front of them, "To wander aimlessly in sorrow, seeking answers to why it happened, what we could have done differently."

Jasper paused, feeling a tight sensation clench her chest. Despair stopped as well, looked down at her. The gem clutched hands to her head and small groans of pain escaped her.

[I betrayed her...] she moaned.

Despair's brow knotted slightly. Self looked at Jasper now.

"Why do you say that, Jasper?" Self asked.

Tears streamed down Jasper's cheeks. [She was all that I had and I let her die!]

Despair reached out with two great arms, circling Jasper and pulling her to her wide chest. "The pain you endure purifies you, Jasper. It is here you must learn to understand."

Jasper shut her eyes, somehow drawing comfort from the enormous being. It was strange, but she didn't want to pull away. Self said nothing and simply observed in a sort of serene silence.

Then, Jasper opened her eyes and noticed a gentle, soothing wave of ocean water below them. It was bright green, gently undulating against the rocky path. Jasper pulled away from Despair and stood, watching it. She didn't understand what it was, but something held her there. A drawing, a yearning for something she didn't know.

Suddenly, a jagged crystal spire shot out of the water, freezing Self and Despair. A maniacal cackle filled the air and the spire split sickeningly down the middle. With a loud crack, a green hand emerged, followed by the hissing, snarling form of Malachite.

Steam shot up from her form and green fluid dripped down from her eyes and teeth. When it contacted the earth, it hissed. Malachite looked different than Jasper had remembered her being; she seemed sickly, perhaps mad with agony. Her jaws clicked and those four eyes focused on her like a tethered, feral animal.

Jasper's eyes widened and before she could advance, Self was already there in front of her. She spoke sternly to the fusion and Jasper watched her with surprise.

"Begone, foul, poisonous thing!" she commanded. "She is no longer a part of you! Did you think you could stop us from finding our way to the center of this corruption? Away with you!"

Malachite snarled with hate now, eyes glowing. She charged forward, howling for them. Self took a graceful step to the side and Malachite was lurched forward, clumsily tangled in a flurry of limbs. Self looked back at Jasper, gesturing to the disoriented fusion lying sprawled there.

"Quickly! Destroy her!" she shouted. "Before she regains her senses!"

Jasper was there immediately; she rushed along the length of Malachite's back, seized the gem on her face and twisted with all her strength. Malachite screeched out, green fluid spurting from her mouth and eyes before she vanished in a burst of black smog.

The air felt suddenly cold, as if everything had chilled in the loss of Malachite. Jasper noticed a layer of ice creep across every surface around her. Despair noticed it as well. She sighed heavily, as if releasing a great burden.

"And yet, here we remain. Empty." she mumbled, shaking her head with disappointment.

O

Self and Jasper followed Despair through a graveyard.

To Jasper, it was a human construct which felt unusual for her to have in her mind. The graveyard was swathed in fog and she could hear the faint sounds of weeping in the distance. It was a truly sombre atmosphere.

[What is this?] Jasper asked, glancing up at Despair. [Why are we here?]

"This is where we first saw a human die," Despair explained, "This is why I wept. I wept to feel so alone, but a human drew comfort to me. For a time."

Jasper glanced up skeptically. She hardly remembered any human worthy of tears from... Oh, wait. It was slowly coming to her. A memory swathed in smoke as it had been all the others. She saw herself standing beside an old human woman, who was speaking to her about something.

"Remember when you didn't hate them?" Self queried, glancing at Jasper curiously. "Remember how much better you used to be?"

Jasper watched the smoky memory play out. She saw herself being embraced and led out of the graveyard. She watched other memories play out the same way; all of them were here, in the dead field. She shut her eyes and thought about how it had once been. How naive she'd been.

 _"Jasper, what a lovely name..."_

Jasper turned, noticing the memory playing out of the old woman kneeling down to retrieve something. Her visage stood behind her in smoke.

"Do you think if she hadn't been blind, she'd adore you the way she had?" Self questioned.

Jasper didn't know.

 _"What are you doing?"_

 _"Listening to music. Would you like to hear some, dear?"_

The shadowy image of Jasper sat down in front of the old woman. The human began to hum a song and Jasper's memory self began to follow in tune with her.

"What became of her?" Self asked, tilting her head.

Jasper sighed. [Age. Humans die so young.]

"That they do. But some of them make the most of their fleeting lives. For better or for worse," Self replied, smiling. "And one extended a kindness to you. You missed that in the wake of your sorrow."

Jasper looked down at her hands and realized the splotchy green markings had almost faded away. Looking up at Self; Jasper noticed how proud she seemed of her and how happy she was to see that she had begun to heal her corruption on her own.

"To heal, we must first confront the thing that hurt us," Self told her, "You've already taken the first few steps to do so. I feel you will truly have what it takes to conquer the source of your corruption."

Despair began to lay down and Jasper turned to her, frowning. [Don't lay down,] she snapped, [We need to go forward. You need to tell us where we're going.]

Despair sighed sadly. "Forgive me, but this is as far as I go." she said, resting her face in her hands. "You must continue on your own. For Wrath awaits you in the stinging sands below. Where rage peels apart the surface of yourself."

Jasper glanced at Self, then to the distance where the path continued. She didn't know what to expect or what Despair really meant. But at this point, the games were growing tiresome and she wanted it to end. So she left Despair alone while wandering down the path with Self.

[Are they real?] Jasper asked, looking at her.

Self raised her eyebrows with a smile. "They are a part of you in a form you most recognize. Why wouldn't they be real?"

Jasper rolled her eyes. [Talk in a way that makes sense.]

"You've traveled through the vestiges of your mind and yet it mends slowly," Self explained, without hesitation. "Do you wish to shed the corruption and accept your fate? Or will you find yourself lost in your mind?"

Jasper thought about it. She didn't want that. She wanted no sort of weakness.

She passed a broken building where a yellow vulture was perched, bearing the diamond-shaped markings that immediately reminded her of Yellow Diamond. Its enormous beak snapped loudly at the sight of her, a loud, sharp click that jolted Jasper where she stood. Self observed the creature as well, smiling somewhat. She didn't seem threatened by its presence.

They stopped walking when they faced a wide, seemingly bottomless hole. Self glanced down at it with a thoughtful murmur before looking at Jasper.

"Jasper, there is but one way to reach the center of Wrath," she explained, "You have made improvements to your mind and those working to correct the damage. Only one truly willing to move forward will take this plunge. Jasper, have you what it takes, truly?"

Jasper stared down into the void, faintly making out the sounds of snarls and violent hisses emerging from it. In truth, she wasn't quite prepared to face what came next, but she knew she had to. She HAD to face whatever it was in her head before she could cure herself from corruption. Taking a deep breath, she raised one leg over the hole.

[I'm ready,] she said.

Self nodded her head, smiling her approval. She was certainly impressed.

Jasper shut her eyes, took a small inhale before she stepped off the edge, into the black abyss.

She fell.

And fell.

And fell.

The air from her plummeting seared her cheeks and she realized that the furthest she fell, the hotter the atmosphere felt. It scorched the surface of her skin, leaving painful stings slashing across her face. Jasper grunted with effort, opening her eyes. She saw a pool of lava awaiting her. And swimming in the lava was a boat.

Jasper landed on the boat with a loud grunt of pain. Self was already there, waiting for her as usual. She smiled and reached out a hand. Jasper glanced at it, then took the offering and rose.

The wind whipped around her, carrying sand that stung her eyes. In the distance, Jasper could barely see ruins buried half in the sand; spires and familiar gem architecture. Self led Jasper forward through the sand, gesturing around her.

"Your anger smothers the memories, choking them," she said, "It is said that rage boils in the lowest part of you, filling your belly with fire. Such a feeling one can never hope to satisfy..."

[What do we do now?] Jasper asked.

"We seek answers." Self explained. "Come."

As they ventured through the sands, Jasper noticed vultures picking away at a lumbering shape made of white hair. The vultures snarled and screeched the entire time, but the hairy shape didn't budge. Instead, it continued walking as if nothing was happening to it.

"Anger can slowly pick away at you," Self explained further, watching Jasper's curious face, "You know the feeling as a period of intensity, followed by exhaustion. It will consume and you won't even know it."

Jasper watched the creature and felt a connection to it somehow. Maybe it was a part of her. She wouldn't deny that much.

She looked down at a sculpture of herself, slowly eroded away by the sand. Her eyes widened and a flash of memory filled her head; she saw herself screaming and punching a bag viciously, tearing it apart with her bare hands as she imagined it belonging to Rose Quartz.

Before she'd learned how to hide it.

The rage.

A growling chuckle filled the air and the two looked up at the sight of a figure standing on a broken statue of Pink Diamond. Jasper was ready for it this time; a figure bearing her image, only this one was tall and skinny with red eyes. Her hair was short, having looked like it was cut by hand. Her nails were long, sharp like claws.

In her hand she held a thick, glowing chain and something massive lurked behind her in the shadows; something with enormous shoulders, glowing red eyes and a wild mane of hair. Self took a deep breath and raised her chin. Jasper furrowed her brow.

"There's no room for pity here, Jasper," the figure said, showing long, sharp teeth in a grin. "For what are we worth but nothing?"

Jasper glared up at her. [What are you?]

Self explained first. "The embodiment of Self-Judgement. The part of you that relentlessly condemns yourself for your sins. Be wary of this one. She is cunning."

Self-Judgement chuckled and ran a nail over her cheek. "Cunning has its uses," she said. "But in this case, I prefer a sheer force of will."

Behind her, the shadowy form lunged out with a thunderous, leonine roar. Jasper looked stunned to see that it also looked like her; she was beastly and covered with thick hair on her forearms, massive teeth and wild, feral eyes. Her throat was clasped by a tight shackle and chain, barely being held by Self-Judgement.

"Wrath. Such a violent, senseless beast." Self whispered, "Be cautious, Jasper. Once Wrath is loose, she cannot be tamed as easily as the others."

Self-Judgement grinned widely and it stretched her face out in an eerie manner. "Poor choice of words, thing."

She opened her hand and Wrath howled forward, teeth and claws slashing. Jasper flipped back, jumping onto a pillar and climbing just out of reach of the nightmarish creature. Wrath swiped, slashed and jumped at her, but could not reach. Her mouth spewed streams of saliva and her wild, crimson eyes fixed Jasper like a half-starved beast.

"Come now, Jasper!" Self-Judgement called, cupping her mouth. "Let Wrath consume you! Just like the good old days!"

Wrath sank her teeth into the pillar, violently ripping it down with a wild jerk of her head. Jasper was jolted from it and she landed on the creature's back. It screamed out, reaching back to grab at her before rising on two legs. In the effort, her claws sliced at her own body and head. Jasper wrapped her arms around Wrath's massive neck, struggling to pull her back.

"Fight her, Jasper!" Self shouted. "You are stronger than she is!"

Self-Judgement smirked and shook her head, pacing on the statue. She found the notion amusing. "Oh, really? That's now how I remember you the first millennia of your life!"

Jasper snarled with effort, still holding onto the raging beast. Wrath screamed out and thrust herself back, crushing the gem beneath her. But Jasper still held on for all her worth. Wrath writhed several times before charging headfirst into another statue, shattering it to bits.

Jasper grabbed a handful of Wrath's hair, struggling to pull her back. Wrath stumbled a bit from her tugging, her face contacting the ground. The sand blinded her, yet she still lashed out at Jasper in some desperate attempt to kill her. The gem dislodged herself from the creature, watching as she clawed her face and looked wildly around for her quarry.

 _Rage is blind._

Jasper's features smoothed out when she remembered the teachings of Pink Diamond from so long ago. It was a speech regarded the blindness of rage. Most would argue that there was strength in wrath, but it was nothing more than sightless. It could kill if it wanted to - and Stars, did it want to - but it meant nothing in the end if it couldn't see the result of its actions.

Wrath screeched out with fury and frustration; she looked sharply around her, but couldn't seem to find Jasper. Her mouth dripped with saliva and it practically foamed around the corners.

 _I've had enough. I don't want to live like this._

Jasper gave a fierce, primal scream and charged for Wrath. Self's eyes widened and Self-Judgement looked shocked by the sight. Jasper collided with Wrath's midsection, sending the howling creature flat on her back. Once on top of her, Jasper began to punch her over.

And over.

And over.

[You won't beat me!] Jasper screamed. [YOU WON'T BEAT ME!]

Wrath's pained screeches gradually died down and silenced as the fists that punched her continued on. And on. Self-Judgement could only watch with muted shock. After Wrath had stilled and laid there, Jasper took a few shaking breaths to calm herself. Her hands shook and she inhaled sharply before turning to the others.

Her mouth had completely healed from being nothing more than frightening teeth. Self smiled with pride and Jasper reached up with two hands, stunned. She cracked her jaw a few times, smacked her lips before glowering up at Self-Judgement.

"I win!" she hissed, triumphantly.

Self-Judgement stared at her before smirking and clapping. "It only took you...what... several millennia?" she sneered.

Self looked at Jasper and placed a comforting arm around her shoulders. She gave one fleeting look to Self-Judgement before gesturing in front of her. "Come. We waste time here."

They continued forward and Self-Judgement called after them. "I HOPE YOU'RE READY FOR WHAT'S COMING!" she shouted, "What am I saying? OF COURSE YOUR NOT!"

Jasper was determined to face what came next, but the cruel shout from the thing behind her did make her think about it. What else would she expect?

O

"Life can be a beautiful illusion we create to comfort ourselves," Self said, watching the tunnel they were to enter. It was marked with Gem Language. "Some stay true to the purpose they were made for; yet even so, they are but shells of themselves, empty vessels. Others chase the charms of love, however elusive. What is it that drives you?"

Jasper thought about it. "Justice."

"Hm. How interesting." Self mused, smiling. "A selflessness to seek redemption for Pink Diamond. Perhaps in doing so, you feel you can heal from the past. All problems solved?"

The tunnel carried several charcoal paintings on them. Jasper furrowed her brow curiously, walked up to a drawing of Pink Diamond embracing her. She rested her hand against it.

"What are these?" she wondered.

"Fragments of days long passed," Self explained, with a sad smile, "A more...innocent time, perhaps."

Jasper looked to the left and spotted a small shape kneeling in the corner, scribbling something down. It had white hair like her, but cut short. It was about the size of Carnelian - the short Beta gem from her Kindergarten.

With familiar orange stripes...

"Hey." Jasper said, taking a step toward her.

A soft gasp and the shape turned, frightened. Her eyes were wide and bright yellow. Her sharp cut gem looked almost too big for her face.

A small, frail version of herself - Jasper knew what she looked at.

The little form relaxed when she realized who it was. "Oh! It's you!"

"Innocence." Self said. "The small part of you that somehow still exists in the void of your mind. It brought life to creation, even though you've long forgotten it exists."

Jasper knelt down before Innocence, who smiled happily at the sight of her. "We've been here by ourselves for a while. You told us to stay here, so we stayed and drew things to help you remember. But the others were a lot stronger and scary, so we hid here watching the other one. Would you like to talk to us now?"

Jasper closed her eyes. When she opened them again, they were glassy. "Okay."

"Great!" Innocence jumped up, throwing her arms around Jasper.

Jasper couldn't help but embrace the smaller version of herself with shimmering eyes. She swallowed thickly, having experienced a pang of heat in her throat at the sight of herself. So small, yet so full of wonder and marvel at the universe.

Self only smiled warmly at the sight.

Jasper parted, regarding Innocence curiously. "What now?" she asked. "Where do we go from here?"

Innocence pointed at a door near her that was encased in ice. "In there." she explained. "It's really cold and dark in there. But it's okay to be afraid. If you can reach the center, there's a little lantern there with a pink flame to guide you. It's little and broken, but still good." She brightened, as if savoring the thought. "Yeah, still good."

Jasper nodded and stood up. "Good. Thanks for showing me the way."

Innocence held up a hand before she could walk passed her. "Can we talk more when you're done with your mission?" she asked. Her features filled with hope. "I miss talking to you."

Jasper smiled, blinking away an urge to shed tears. "Sure. Maybe."

"Okay!" Innocence knelt down to resume her drawings. "I'll wait here for you."

Jasper faced the icy door. She clenched her fists at her sides, took a deep breath. "I'm ready."

"Are you sure, Jasper?" Self asked, looking at her. "You must be certain that what you face is what you're prepared for. Say it. Say you are willing."

"I am willing." Jasper said, with resolve. "Show me."

"Very well."

The door cracked and roared open, sending a frigid air from it. Innocence just calmly and happily continued her drawing while the wind billowed around Jasper's face. She looked over her shoulder and realized that Self was gone.

She had no time to think about it and simply stepped through the door into pitch darkness.

O

The ground was made of ice.

After walking through the dark, Jasper saw the little lantern resting in the hands of a statue of herself, kneeling in a grieving position. She took the lantern and studied the tiny pink light inside. The lantern was small in her hands and the flame seemed to be dying.

Jasper cast the light in front of her, trying to see the room she was in; if it was even a room to begin with. She saw nothing but endless ice at her feet.

When she cast her light to the left, she saw Self standing there. Her features were grim.

"All gems scramble for truth within themselves. They comfort each other with the illusions of joy, struggling to accept the lie and knowing the ugly truth." Self said, with a small smile.

Jasper furrowed her brow. A feeling of dread crept up her back. She wanted to hold the little pink flame close to her chest.

"It's you." she said, when she realized what she truly stared at. "You're my final test."

Self smiled, nodding. "I am."

"What are you?"

"I am the strongest thing that haunts you," Self explained, "I had to be sure that you could face me once everything was said and done. You've never come so far before. What do you think I am? I can disguise myself very easily in other emotions."

Jasper thought of the other visual representations of herself. What was it that hid so well among the rest of her? Who was Self supposed to be? When she felt herself trying to think, she suddenly backpedaled. Maybe a part of her just couldn't think about it.

Self began to back away into the darkness until only her voice echoed around Jasper.

"Peace is another dangerous illusion and one that feeds me. Shackled you are by my will, the yearning for love yet the denial of accepting it. I am the thing that hides behind Pride. Behind Self-Destruction. Despair. Wrath. Self-Judgement. Even Strength. I disguised myself in hopes that you will see what truly corrupts you."

Jasper's eyes wandered around the darkness. She bared her teeth. "Stop playing games!" she spat. "Show me who you are!"

"But you know me. Deep down, I think you know exactly who I am. I did not intentionally deceive you, Jasper. I simply hide myself well."

Jasper looked over her shoulder and her eyes widened as a vast shape slowly began to emerge; distorted and nightmarish. Ugly beyond compare. Jasper had never seen something so disturbing and hideous.

It had a swollen, distended arm with familiar markings, a frighteningly twisted face with a single cut gem that Jasper had over her own face. Dull yellow eyes narrowed to slits. A drooping mouth filled with broken teeth and a fat, swollen body. In its smaller hand it clutched a sword. Tattered remains of a green cloak dangled across its back.

"I am Self-Hatred. I am the driving force behind your actions," the creature gurgled; her lovely voice was reduced to a sick, wet choke. "The moment she passed was the moment I was born. And through a millennia of strife, I grew strong."

The icy chill filled Jasper's veins. She looked down at the pink flame within the small lantern. Somehow it gave her warmth and soothed her hands with its glow. Jasper closed her eyes, leaning close to it.

 _I understand. I know what I have to do._

Self-Hatred gave a small chuckle when she saw the way Jasper stared at her. "I am an ugly thing, I know. The truth is often unpleasant to look at." she said, pacing around Jasper. "There is no path before you now and yet somehow...you still seek it regardless. All that remains is us. All that will remain after is one. You have the strength to stand before me. Now prove your measure."

Her sword shot a hot shower of sparks as she lunged, dragging it behind her. Jasper quickly jumped, narrowly missing the blade as it came crashing down inches from her face. She gasped, ducking to the left as Self-Hatred swung the sword sideways, cutting off but a few threads of hair.

"Disgusting. Failure..." Self-Hatred sighed, sadly, "It's the true measure of our inner self. We are disgusting. We deserve to look like this."

She moaned quietly, a soft, sad sound as Jasper scrambled to her feet. Self-Hatred looked back at her.

"Do you know what we do most?" she asked, "We wallow here in the cold. Had you not reached within yourself, we would have consumed you. That is what we are, Jasper. That is what we do. I had to wait for you to fight me. I had to see if you were ready."

She swung her sword again and Jasper bent herself backwards at the waist to avoid it once more. At that moment, Self-Hatred swatted her roughly aside with her larger hand, sending the gem falling backwards with several pained grunts. She looked up, mere seconds as the large hand came swinging down into a fist.

Self-Hatred smiled now, showing rows of hideous teeth. She flipped onto her large hand, swung her sword and kicked out her legs. Jasper produced her helmet at that moment, catching the end of the blade with her head.

Grunting with effort, she stomped forward before charging into a spin dash; slamming her weight into Self-Hatred, knocking her backwards. The enormous aberration recovered quickly, backhanding her hard. The blow knocked Jasper to the icy floor and she was promptly pinned in her throat with one knee.

Jasper gave a thick, wet groan and grabbed uselessly at the knee in her throat.

"Jasper..." Self-Hatred sighed, shaking her head. "Oh, poor indignant fool. I told you, I am fed by you. You give me the strength I need. What else will you draw your power from?"

Jasper opened her eyes, choking out again. She noticed lantern that had fallen in the fight within reach; scooping it up with one hand. The flame began to burn brighter and Jasper stared down at it in surprise. She glanced from the lantern, to Self-Hatred; the hideous form slowly backed from her, watching the flame as well.

 _I'm still here. Let me help._

The pink flame within the lantern began to glow brighter. It warmed Jasper's form, comforting her with a familiar sensation she'd only known when she emerged to the smile of Pink Diamond. She drew strength from the flame and rose, holding it with outstretched hands.

Self-Hatred smiled now, her distorted face lighting up with amazement.

Jasper closed her eyes, still holding the lantern out. "I remember Pink Diamond told me something...about the soul." she said.

"Yes..." Self-Hatred hissed, her voice rumbling with contentment. She seemed to savor the memory as well.

"'It's always darkest when we're at our lowest'," Jasper recited, "'In the dark, there is a light. And in that light, we find strength to push back the shadows'."

Self-Hatred watched as the fire built brighter, and brighter. She smiled and dropped her sword. Reaching out with two hands, she stepped forward, as if moving to embrace an old friend. The fire brightened and her form began to fade away, peeling apart like paint.

"Good, Jasper. Now let's finally be at peace..."

The fire burned hot like a supernova and everything went white.

There was a final voice she heard before. It sounded remarkably like Pink standing right next to her.

 _"Let me help you."_


	4. Chapter Four: Leap of Faith

~O~

 **Chapter Four: Leap of Faith**

"Let me help you, Jasper."

Jasper's eyes opened and she was welcomed by the sight of Steven looking at her with worry. Then, he blinked in shock and his eyes widened.

"Wait, Jasper, your face!" he exclaimed.

Jasper furrowed her brow and turned to the water nearby. Her face had almost completely regenerated itself. The sides of her jaws were covered in ribbons of green and her mouth was still filled with sharp teeth. She could move her jaw better and her arms began to look more orange and striped, no longer covered in such green splotches.

Steven had accompanied Pearl and Connie to the cave and had frozen there when they saw her, unable to fathom the change. Well, they weren't the only one. Jasper also longed for answers. But then again, she was healing. That should have been enough.

"Jasper!" Steven exclaimed, amazed. "You're better now than you were before!"

Jasper's breath expelled out of her in a stream of hisses and groans.

"...Thanks to...you..." she growled.

Pearl's eyes widened. "You're speaking!" she exclaimed.

Jasper gave her a cold look. Obviously.

Pearl challenged her look with one of her own. Jasper smiled a little. Well, she was a defiant little clod, she would give her that much.

Steven was happy to hear Jasper speaking. "That's good! You're healing a lot more!"

Jasper shut her eyes tightly before managing to speak again. It sounded harsh and grating; more so than her usual, gravelly voice.

"Strange..." she snapped.

Steven nodded. "Yeah, my healing spit hasn't healed anyone like this before." he agreed. "Maybe my powers are getting stronger?"

Jasper frowned when he looked at her. Why did he do that? Did he think she had all the answers? It made her think about the dream she had and the caves she was in. Did the combination of these things aid her in her regeneration somehow? She didn't know.

Pearl looked at Steven, ushering him and Connie away. "Alright, both of you go and get lunch. You've been here with her all morning."

"But..." Connie started to protest.

Perhaps she was worried about what would happen if Pearl was left alone. The gem sighed, shaking her head, rebuking their concern.

"I'll be fine," she assured them. "Now go on. Do as I say."

The two walked away without further argument. Steven called back to Jasper. "I'll bring you back some food!"

Jasper watched him go before she was completely alone with the pearl in front of her. For a moment, neither one of them moved or spoke. It was just the simplest of glances exchanged. Pearl furrowed her brow and Jasper squinted at her.

It was a direct challenge, Jasper knew.

"You know, you may have him fooled, but I know what sort of gem you are, Jasper." Pearl said, her voice dripping with venom. "And if you do anything to hurt him, I can promise you one thing; there will be no one around left for you to blame. You will be bubbled and I will leave you in the darkest room in the temple."

Jasper raised her eyebrows, amusement touching her face. Or what seemed like amusement to Pearl. It was still difficult to tell with how disfigured the corruption made her look.

"Heh...and you call ME a brute...?" she growled.

Pearl was taken aback by the comment, but she quickly recovered with another of her own. "I wasn't the one who tried to destroy the Earth!"

Jasper scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Heh, that's just like you...Rebel gems. Always thinking...you're completely flawless beings."

Pearl folded her arms across her chest. "Yeah, I've heard it all before."

"You knew what she did..." Jasper continued, her eyes almost glowing now. "To Pink Diamond. You knew and you still followed her!"

Pearl's features filled with pain. "Do you think that was what we wanted?" she said, unable to hide the shake in her voice.

"I think you wanted war. Why else would you have followed Rose Quartz? That's what pearl's are good for, right? Being blind, obedient little slaves!"

She held up two hands for emphasis for her next words.

"I have been a warrior for a long time." she continued, "I have captured enemy gems. Interrogated them. I've been kicked in the face. I've been stabbed, spat on. Shot at. I've almost been shattered myself. But you know what? I don't hold any of that against them."

Pearl continued to glare.

Jasper's gaze was smoldering as she spoke on. "The gems I've had to shatter. Those gems? I respected them, even. I respected them because they were honest. I hated them. They hated me. The relationship was simple. It's gems like ROSE. Gems who make you feel safe, put ideas of freedom and liberty into your head, charms you, manipulate you to being their friend. THAT gem is the worst of them all."

Jasper's words hurt more than Pearl wanted them to. But she forced resolve. "And look what you are now," she said, evenly.

Pearl was silent, staring Jasper down. Much to her surprise, Jasper had no retort.

"You know, Jasper..." Pearl continued, her voice quieter now. "You seem to easily forget a lot of things. You can rationalize it any way you want. You can make whatever excuse comes to mind. But let's both be honest, for the sake of it."

Jasper met her gaze, scowling.

Pearl's eyes changed. She looked sad now. "You were the only gem who was loved most. More than others." A quieter sigh. "More than Rose, me or any pearl in existence."

Jasper never thought of that. She knew that she had been considered to be "The Perfect Quartz", but she never really understood the possibility that she was loved more than others. Jasper couldn't comprehend being loved much at all. At least, that was how she felt now.

"Then, the war happened, and you...in all your perfection and construction for war..." Pearl continued on, never so sure of herself until now. "...were the first of us to break."

Jasper was silent for a long period of minutes. Finally, she answered, cruel and biting.

"You don't understand. None of you do."

O

Steven set down a few things for Jasper to eat. Most of it looked disgusting to the larger gem. But the Pomegranates were particularly good. Steven didn't see why she liked them, but at least she was accepting his offerings.

"Jasper?" Steven finally said.

The gem had been stuffing fruit into her mouth. Ribbons of juices trickled down her frightening jaws. At the mention of her name, she stared at Steven with irritation.

"For what it's worth..." Steven began. "I'm sorry."

Jasper looked up sharply at that. For a moment, she seemed confused by the benediction. Then, her features twisted and she snorted coldly.

"You don't know what sorry is."

Steven withered a little. Jasper stared down at her hands. They looked almost completely healed. Even her feet. But she still had spikes jutting out of her shoulders. Her hair was also still lengthened down and around her feet, which ended in claws.

Steven sighed. "You're right, I don't know."

Jasper frowned, not expecting the reaction she got.

"I can't imagine anything about the war, or what my mom did..." Steven continued, sadly staring at his hands. "But I can make it right."

"Can you?" Jasper snarled, her voice becoming sick and garbled. She was taking steps back mentally. "Can you fix my Diamond, Rose? Can you correct all of those wrongs you've made?"

Steven didn't know how to answer.

Jasper smirked, her expression nasty. "That's what I thought." She looked down at the offerings and gave them a swat. "Take your little false offerings and swallow them with your guilt. Pacifying me will change nothing."

She wasn't wrong.

That evening, Steven was hanging out at the Big Donut with Connie. Sadie cleaned up a few things from tables and chairs before she noticed them.

"Wow, you two look down." she said, noticing the distracted, disappointed looks on their faces.

Steven sighed. "It's Jasper. I can't seem to get through to her."

"Is she one of the gems you live with?" Sadie asked.

"In a way." Steven answered, not sure he wanted to tell her anything about her. Sadie didn't seem to know that Jasper was responsible for the attack on Beach City. It was best to keep it that way.

"What's going on?" Sadie asked, wrapping the strings of a garbage bag up.

Steven hesitated and looked at Connie before he answered. "What do you do if your mom upset someone? I mean, really hurt them?"

Sadie made a face. "That's a tough one. Was it bad?"

"Very." Steven couldn't shake the thought away of his mother shattering a Diamond. "She took someone from Jasper. Someone important. And I don't know what she needs to make it better."

"It won't be better, Steven." Sadie reminded him. She sat the bag down and sat across from him. "Forgiveness like this isn't easy. Maybe start by finding out what she needs. Then, she'll come to you."

Connie and Steven looked at each other.

"You think that might work?" Connie asked.

Sadie smiled. "It worked for Lars, didn't it?"

Steven thought about that. Really, it was obvious what Jasper wanted. But it was something he wasn't able to give.

O

A mission was a good distraction.

Pearl, Steven and Garnet wandered through the jungle after Garnet had seen images of a corrupted gem pass through. She had led them to a gem temple and pushed a statue aside. Pearl looked distracted and sought to ease the feeling a bit with a conversation.

"Steven, this is impossible," she said.

Steven sighed, nodding. "I know..."

"We can't change Jasper's ways." Pearl told him, as they stepped into the temple. "You did good trying, but I can't see her just putting those feelings aside like Peridot and Lapis."

 _...Hello?..._

The sound of a voice suddenly froze the three of them. Pearl, Garnet and Steven looked around wildly for the source of the voice. It was female, weak and pleading. The temple itself was filled with wall paintings, but cracked and withered with age. It couldn't have been the corrupted gem. Corruptions didn't speak.

"What was that?" Steven exclaimed.

"...Hello...Is someone there?"

Garnet looked at the others. "Follow me. Be ready." she said.

They followed her in the direction of the call, approaching a makeshift cavern consisting of rubble from the court and fragments of statues. Garnet entered first, then Pearl and Steven.

"I can hear you... Have you finally come back for me?"

The voice was growing louder. The gems found themselves inside an enormous cave filled with scratches on the wall. Even the ceiling. Pearl shuddered at the sight. Garnet pursed her lips and Steven hid behind them, an uneasy feeling settling in the pit of his stomach.

In the center of the cave rested a pinkish, inhuman blob about the size of a large horse. It shifted wetly, gurgling a few times before turning.

Steven's eyes widened in horror. "Uhhhh..." he moaned.

It was a gem. A corrupted one made up of sticky, pink ooze. It had long, spider-like limbs and sharp claws. Wet pink mass fell over its face like strings of hair and when it spoke, its mouth was nothing more than a frightening maw of teeth.

"M-My Diamond?" the gem gasped, voice airy and haunting. "Is that you? Have you come back for me at last?"

The gems were frozen in their places, unable to fathom the horror they were witnessing. It moved, dragging itself forward with great effort. A bright, mad grin touched its face. It breathed happily, excitedly. Its whole body jiggled like pudding.

"I-I waited for you! Like you asked me!" the gem cried. "I kept it safe!"

She was holding something in a secondary pair of arms that had grown on her chest. It reminded Steven of a Praying Mantis. He couldn't tell what it was that she held, though.

There was the sound of something shifting and the trio looked over toward another gem, trapped in between the stages of corruption. She was mostly blue, except for the dull, red eyes. Her body was partially twisted into that of a deer-like mutation. She had horns growing from one side of her head, long blue whips of hair nearly engulfing her body. She looked like she'd once work a dress of some kind, but it was frayed at the end and her legs ended in hooves.

The gem seemed to stare right through the others, talking now.

"I tried to wait. They told me to wait." she mumbled.

Steven carefully approached. "Hello?" he said.

"I tried to wait. They told me to wait." the gem repeated without pause.

Steven frowned, unsettled by the sight. He waved his hand in front of her face, but received no reaction. She continued speaking in a loop.

"I tried to wait. They told me to wait."

Garnet shook her head slowly. "We can't leave them like this."

She started forward, but Steven held up two hands. "Wait! Just...give me a minute."

Pearl looked wary, clutching her spear tightly in two hands. "Steven, these gems are too far gone. They don't even know who we are."

The pink gem looked around, sniffing the air like a frightened dog. "My Diamond, please..." she mumbled, her voice breaking. She sounded like she was weeping, but she had no eyes. "I want my Diamond. Where is she?"

"I'm sorry..." Steven told her, quietly. "She's not here."

The gem reached up shakingly with two hands, grabbing Steven's face. Pearl and Garnet moved quickly, forcing her apart from him.

"My Diamond... My Diamond..." the pink gem sobbed. "I lost my Diamond!"

She recoiled, those long hands coming up to her head. Her sobs were broken, pitiful and heart-wrenching that Steven felt his eyes prickle.

Garnet looked at him gravely. "Steven, you don't have to be here for this."

Steven abandoned the cavern, listening to the gem still sobbing. It was abruptly cut off by the sound of poofing and the clatter of a gem falling to the ground. Then, the sound of another poof happened and the gem that was repeating herself was abruptly silenced.

O

It was an orb.

He looked up at Pearl in confusion as they walked back toward Jasper's location. "What is this?" he asked her.

Pearl sighed. "She had this. She was probably believed that it would help in some way. I'm not sure what it is. Only a quartz can activate it."

Steven hesitated, studying the rough surface for a moment.

"Sometimes, gems can't shake their attachments to the ones they were made for," she explained. "They form an unshakable bond. Like me, I suppose. But then gems like that? They go beyond. They are broken for the rest of their lives. Lost without their master's call."

Steven remembered when Jasper had called pearl "lost and defective". He was curious now by what she really meant.

"Steven, do me a favor," Pearl told him. "Don't tell Jasper what we saw back there."

Steven looked surprised by her words.

She almost sounded sympathetic about Jasper.

That was new.

Meanwhile, Garnet had returned to the temple with the two gems she had poofed in bubbles. Lapis, Peridot and Amethyst stared at them with amazement.

"So they were in between corruption?" Peridot asked.

Garnet nodded. "Yes. It's possible that the corruption may have only affected them in time." She studied the bubbled Gems for a moment and her voice carried a weight of sympathy now. "But to be there for five thousand years. Waiting for Pink Diamond..."

Peridot snorted. "Well, they were going to wait forever."

The other three stared at her and she sensed the mild judgement in their stares. Peridot frowned and shrugged her shoulders.

"What? It's true." she said.

Garnet took the bubbled gems and gave them a tap, sending them on their way to the room where the rest were stored safely.

"So how is Jasper doing?" Peridot couldn't resist her curiosity. "Does she have fleas? Is she drooling?"

Garnet turned to go. "See for yourself."

Peridot hesitated. "I...probably shouldn't." she said, rubbing her hands together. "She might remember that I poofed her. Jasper tends to hold a grudge if you hadn't noticed already."

Amethyst rolled her eyes. "Yeah, we noticed."

Garnet shrugged. "Suit yourself. But this isn't about us. It's about Steven." she told them. "He believes in forgiveness, and so should we."

Amethyst nodded. "You're right. I'll come with you."

Peridot sighed, staring skyward. "Alright, but the moment she looks at me funny, she's going to get poofed again."

She walked off in a strut, head held high. Clearly being able to poof a quartz was a point of pride to her. Garnet started to go with the two, but she looked back and noticed Lapis standing there, hesitant. She tilted her head.

"Lapis, are you coming?" she asked.

Lapis shook her head.

"I understand your feelings toward Jasper," Garnet said, facing her completely, "And you have every right to refuse. But Steven believes in making peace. Forgiveness. Is that something all of us should try if it's even the slightest bit possible?"

Lapis seemed to consider her words for a moment. Then, she stared at Garnet, her features hardening.

"No."

Garnet watched as liquid wings sprouted on Lapis' back and she flew, disappearing out through the window.

O

Pearl and Steven were drawing close to the cave, still talking.

"You really think Jasper can change?" Pearl asked him.

Steven sighed. "I think we have to believe enough for her."

That was a surprisingly wise comment from him. Pearl smiled, impressed. "Rose said something like that once." she told him.

"Really? When?"

Pearl didn't answer.

Just then, the sound of heavy breathing stopped them. They looked up, just in time to see a corrupted Gem appear over the canyon. It looked like the Quartz corruption that Jasper had fused with before, but it was purple and striped. It had been drawn by the sound of voices.

"Steven! Stay behind me!" Pearl shouted, moving in front of him with her spear drawn.

The corrupted gem snarled, charging forward.

Steven raised his shield moments as it lunged. Its claws collided with it, and the force was enough to throw Pearl and Steven backwards with several grunts. Pearl immediately shielded him with her arm.

Just as the gem charged again, a large hand seized it violently from the air. Pearl and Steven watched in mute disbelief as Jasper stepped between them and the corrupted gem. She brought it close to her face and roared loudly enough to shake the canyons around them.

She was still partially corrupted, so it was a shockingly disturbing sight.

The corrupted gem was thrown violently to the ground. Steven and Pearl continued to stare in absolute shock as Jasper and the gem fought with all the savagery of wild animals. Jasper's jaws were still massive enough to clamp down on the gem's throat.

A roar of pain burst from the gem's jaws. Jasper was relentless; she punched the corruption over and over, drawing winces from Pearl and Steven.

"YOU. DESERVE. ALL. OF. THIS!" Jasper roared, with each violent punch of her fist.

The gem shrieked in pain and a few moments afterwards, it disappeared in a poof of smoke. Jasper stood over the gem that laid uselessly in the dirt. She raised her foot over it and grinned cruelly.

"Time to shatter this useless failure!" she spat.

Just as her foot came down, Steven acted quickly and tossed his shield. It slid into the gem, knocking it out of Jasper's path. Jasper looked back at him with fury flaring in her golden stare.

"Why did you do that?" she snarled, sounding less human and more corrupted once more. Her eyes were wild, almost mad with fury. "I was having FUN!"

Steven frowned at her, stepping forward to retrieve the gem. He bubbled it and sent it onward to the temple. "Shattering gems isn't supposed to be fun!" he told her.

"Really, Rose?" Jasper was backpedaling now. Back to her old ways. "You wouldn't know anything about shattering gems and how FUN IT WAS?"

Steven remembered how Jasper had looked when Pink Diamond had been destroyed. He remembered how much pain he had seen.

"No one deserves to be shattered." he said, quietly. "Not you. Not them. No one."

"You're wrong." Jasper hissed, spiteful in her conflict. "I should have been shattered a long time ago. But you? You were too weak to do it yourself."

Pearl frowned, advancing with her spear clutched tightly. "What do you mean?"

Jasper seemed disoriented. Her teeth gnashed and she clenched her fists before letting out a scream, grabbing rocks and smashing them. Steven quickly avoided her tantrum by hiding behind Pearl.

"ARE YOU HAPPY NOW, ROSE?" Jasper shouted, enough to buckle the foundations of the canyon around her. Her voice betrayed only the faintest hint of despair.

Just then, the sounds of movement above stopped her long enough to look up. Two more Quartz corruptions had been drawn by the sounds of her fit. Their mouths were dripping with saliva, their claws rending the ground beneath them.

One was light brown, spikes jutting out from its chin and head. The other was purple.

Pearl and Steven readied themselves, but Jasper surged forward, howling like a thing possessed. She fought the two corrupted gems with utter savagery, not with the military prowess she was wont to have. Steven started forward, but Pearl stopped him with one hand at his shoulder.

"We should help her!" he cried.

"Wait!" Pearl insisted.

Jasper was bitten, slashed and clawed. But she fought on, clawing back and biting with enough force to crack the gem of one of the corrupted. The sound felt louder to Steven that the fighting itself. He winced, clutching his own gem tightly.

"YOUR FAULT!" Jasper screamed, into the face of the corruptions. She seemed mad, nearly delirious. "ALL YOUR FAULT!"

The corrupted gem gave a yelp of pain, quickly prying itself loose from Jasper and fleeing. The other did the same, giving out frightened gurgles.

Jasper stood there, crouched like a beast. She panted heavily, giving Steven one final look before collapsing to the ground. It took a few seconds before she disappeared in a poof of orange dust. Her gem laid there and as the dust settled, Steven and Pearl noticed Garnet, Amethyst and Peridot standing there, shock on their faces.

They had seen everything.

O

Pearl held Jasper's gem in her hands. The others had been waiting for her to come back, but it had been almost five hours of silence.

"I can't believe Jasper saved you guys." Peridot remarked, amazed.

"I don't think she was trying to." Steven told her, staring sadly down at Jasper's gem. "I think this was something else."

Amethyst sighed, leaning close to the gem. "Garnet told us what you saw. I mean, that would be enough to make anyone crazy, right?"

"War brings out the worst of all of us," Pearl reminded them. She didn't want to think about it right now. In some way, she actually sympathized with Jasper and didn't know why. "I think maybe Jasper felt like a failure. Failed to protect the Diamond she was made for."

Peridot gave a small sigh. "Yeah, I was there when she fell of the ship." she said.

"You mean 'off the wagon'?" Steven asked.

"Yeah, that." Peridot continued. "But come on! It was war! She of all of us should have known there was no time for mourning."

The following day, Jasper still didn't emerge from her gem. And the day after. And the next day after that. He decided after a while to take Jasper's gem with him to the barn.

O

"ARE YOU CRAZY?"

Lapis couldn't believed what she was seeing and she had yelled loud enough that it knocked over several MeepMorps. Pearl quickly retrieved one before it could fall on Steven's head. Steven was taking Jasper's gem into the barn, setting up a corner for her in the hay above. Lion was nearby, rumbling softly.

Steven ignored the arguments of the gems. He reached into his pocket for an MP3 player. Smiling, he began to set up some soothing music for her. Setting it next to her gem, he looked down at it.

"There you go." he said. "I don't know if you can hear it, but at least when you come out, it'll be nicer than being alone in a cave."

He could barely make out the sounds of a door slamming and looked down. Lapis wasn't among them, so he understood exactly what had happened. He gave a sigh and wandered downstairs.

"She has a point, you know." Peridot said. "I mean, taking Jasper here is not exactly an act of intellect."

Steven nodded in agreement before the other gems could argue with her. "She's right, it's crazy." he said. "I mean, REALLY CRAZY. But we know what Jasper's been through. And she was doing so well. I mean, well enough for HER, anyway."

They looked at one another and murmured their agreement. Most of them had still been surprised by Jasper saving Steven. Or at the very least, that was what it had looked like. He was taking an enormous leap of faith doing something like this. He looked at the door with disappointment.

"Lapis needs time, Steven." Garnet told him. "I don't think this is going to be easy for either one of them, but the fact that you're making an effort is admirable. And we should all follow in your example."

Steven sighed. He didn't intend for Lapis to get upset. Really, he should have known by now. "Yeah, I didn't mean to upset her..."

Garnet put a hand on Steven's shoulder. "We will all do what we can to help you in your decision, Steven." she told him. "But be prepared for anything."

He nodded his head. Then, he looked up toward Lion, who had chosen to rest near Jasper's gem.

It was going to be quite a day tomorrrow.


	5. Chapter Five: We Happy Few

~O~

 **Chapter Five: We Happy Few**

It was snowing.

Steven awoke with a happy yell. "It's snowing!"

He quickly threw the covers of his bed aside, dressed himself and made his way to the barn. Lapis and Peridot weren't around, but Lion was still resting near Jasper's gem. Steven's smile disappeared and he walked over to him. He gave Lion's head a little pet and the enormous cat purred softly.

"She still hasn't come out?" he asked.

Lion's ear gave a little twitch and he yawned. Steven sighed, staring down at Jasper's gem with concern. She hadn't emerged in a while and he was worried that something was wrong.

Just then, Garnet appeared, wearing a sweater and carrying a jacket in her hands. "Steven, you haven't had breakfast yet." she said, "And you're not wearing a coat. I had hot chocolate made for you in the kitchen."

Steven smiled up at her. "Really? Thanks, Garnet!"

Garnet looked beyond Steven to Jasper's gem. "She hasn't reformed yet, I see."

"Do you think something's wrong?" Steven looked as well. "I mean, I've never seen it take so long before."

"You must understand..." Garnet explained. "Jasper is also corrupted. It could take some time for her to find herself again. And she saved you, regardless of what her intentions truly were. It most likely took its toll on her."

Steven sighed sadly. "Yeah..."

"I know you want to help her, but you need to eat breakfast," Garnet explained, "She just needs more time. I'll stay and watch out for her."

Steven smiled. "Okay."

He quickly raced downstairs and Garnet took a seat beside Lion. She gave him a little scratch behind his ears, earning a purr from him.

"So, what do you think?" she asked.

Lion looked down at Jasper's gem and gave it a light tap with his nose. Garnet nodded.

"Alright."

O

Steven quickly called Connie on his cell phone.

"Look outside, Connie!" he announced, when she answered. "It's snowing!"

Connie had gotten herself entangled in the phone cord while her parents struggled to wake up with coffee and breakfast.

 _"Why can't you get up this early for school?"_

Steven laughed as he heard Connie's father mumble in the background. He was being picked up by Pearl, who tucked him under her arm as if he weighed nothing.

"Did you want to come over later?" he asked.

"Sure!" Connie said. She paused for a moment. "Is Jasper...?"

Steven sighed sadly. "Still hasn't reformed yet."

"Oh..." Connie sounded disappointed.

Later that morning, Garnet observed Jasper's gem. She continued to do so with Lion by her side. Steven's MP3 continued to play soothing music.

She made a surprised sound when Jasper's gem began to glow. Backing away a little, she watched as it began to form. Jagged spikes appearing, then disappearing. It seemed like Jasper was struggling to reshape for a few moments.

Lion raised his haunches, tensing at the possibility of a fight. Garnet prepared her gauntlets all the same. Jasper was in new territory and though she respected Steven's decision, she had to be ready for anything.

It took a few moments before Jasper reformed, lying on the floor with a deep groan. Her left hand was splotchy with green and pink, but most of her had been free of corruption. She looked almost the same as she had before her change, besides that single element.

Jasper's eyes widened and she looked around, confusion on her face. "Where am I?" she asked. "What's going on?"

"Jasper, you're safe. No one's going to hurt you." Garnet assured her. "But we will if we have to."

Jasper looked down, noticing the gauntlets. She looked toward Lion; the creature's claws were extended and a soft growl rose up in his throat.

"Where is Rose?" Jasper finally asked.

"STEVEN is outside. Back at the temple." Garnet told her. "Playing in the snow, I imagine."

Jasper looked confused. "WHAT? In the snow? Why?"

"Come and see."

Jasper was going to rebuke her for thinking she could give HER an order, but instead, Lion bumped into her side. Jasper scowled down at the animal. Lion gave her the most ridiculous stare that made her roll her eyes and push him aside.

"You're not worth my time, stupid animal." she snapped.

Lion followed her anyway.

Jasper and Garnet stepped outside and made their way back to the temple. Steven was chasing Connie with an enormous ball of snow in his arms, both properly bundled up for the weather. They were laughing happily. Peridot and Pearl were working on building a snow castle. Amethyst had shape-shifted into a dragon and stomped it to the ground.

"Amethyst!" Peridot and Pearl yelled at the same time.

Then, they sensed Jasper's eyes on them and stopped everything they were doing. Steven had fallen in a pile of snow with a grunt.

"Jasper!" he exclaimed. "You're out!"

Jasper furrowed her brow. "What are you DOING?" she snapped.

"Um, we're playing?" Steven tried.

Jasper was confused. Why were warriors of a Rebel army playing in frozen weather like fools? It frustrated her that these were the very soldiers who had defeated armies of Homeworld Gems.

Acting like idiots.

She gave a cold snort and wandered away.

O

Surprisingly, the barn looked together in one piece.

Steven walked back inside, looking around for Jasper. He'd seen her walk inside and was concerned that there would be another incident like the one at the Kindergarten. "Jasper?" he called. "Jasper, are you still in here?"

He wandered down the rows of MeepMorps and stopped when he saw a pile of blankets, shelves set up and various other objects moved together to form what he could only guess was a fort. He had made them a lot when he was little.

"Jasper, are you in there?" he asked.

A long moment of silence.

"No." Jasper answered, from behind the veil of objects.

Steven sighed, staring upwards before he pulled the blankets back a bit. He found Jasper sitting there, clutching herself. She scowled at him and yanked the blankets shut again. Steven stood there, tilting his head sympathetically.

Steven gave a sigh and decided to give her space. He wandered back outside where the other gems were. They had been talking and even Lapis had returned from her flight.

Lapis dared a glance up toward the temple. "Is she...in there?"

"Yeah."

"Then I should probably stay away."

"Lapis..."

Lapis turned and simply produced her watery wings before flying away. Amethyst sighed, making a face. "Maybe I should talk to Jasper."

Pearl shook her head. "That went so well the last time..." She exhaled and looked down at Steven. "Let me try."

The others looked shocked by her words. "WHAT?" they exclaimed.

That afternoon, Pearl approached Jasper's makeshift tent and sat down in front of it. She could make out the noise of Steven's MP3 playing music. Jasper must have taken a liking to it.

"Jasper." she said.

The music stopped.

"Listen, we saw what happened." she continued, "We know you were there when she was..." She trailed off, unsure if telling Jasper about what had happened with the gems was the best idea. But she was the voice of reason and talking seemed to work before. If not a little.

More silence.

Then, a snort from Jasper. "I don't need pity. Especially from a slave!"

Pearl scowled at the blanket fort for a moment. She clenched her fists and resisted the urge to tear it down and show Jasper just how much of a 'slave' she was. It edged at her self-worth as it always did. Jasper knew how to push the right buttons.

Instead, she remembered how Rose would handle things like this. She knew Rose was better at it.

Still, Pearl didn't like the thought of Jasper being left in such a state. It was too familiar to her.

"I am more than a slave." she said, firmly. "And you know you're more than just a mindless foot soldier. I became more than what I was made for. You can do the same."

A mocking laugh responded to her. Though it sounded more bored than anything else.

Pearl recognized the way the tent and structure had been built around Jasper. It functioned much like a cave. Like...the cave she had stayed in when she looked more corrupted.

She made it to feel safe.

Pearl didn't think about it. It went clear over her head because for so long, she had lived in a safe haven in the temple. She never considered how it would look to someone like Jasper. To just built metaphorical and physical walls around herself.

"Jasper, you have a right to feel." Pearl argued quietly. She was careful in choosing her words. One wrong word could tip Jasper over the edge again.

"Stop." Jasper ordered, from behind the curtain.

It was quiet. Too quiet for someone like her. Pearl found that she would have rather had her yelling at her than this.

Pearl sighed and stood up. Well, she had tried.

That afternoon, Jasper had refused to move from her place beneath the blankets. Steven had found her interest in his MP3 player at least a good sign. While he stood in the doorway, he noticed that Lapis and Peridot had made their way into the nearby cornfield. So he decided to join them and give Jasper space.

Peridot was certainly proud of her cornfield. "I have all the skills required for growing gems. I figured, why not try growing something else?" She grinned excitedly. "Who knows? Maybe they're ready right now!"

She plucked an ear of corn off of the stalk and grinned. "Hello, corn."

When she received no response, Steven supressed his giggle.

"Wait, you didn't think the corn was gonna walk right out of the ground when you told it to, did you? That's not how vegetables work."

Peridot looked confused. "It's not? Well, then, what's the point of corn?" she snapped, tossing it to the ground. With a dejected sigh, she hung her shoulders. "I have to admit, I've really been starting to miss the pitter-patter of full-sized gem soldiers..."

Lapis nodded in agreement. "It does get pretty quiet around here..." Then, she shot a look toward the barn. "Now that Jasper's around, it might not stay that way."

"Come on, Lapis. Let's go disassemble the tractor." Peridot sighed, tugging her arm to follow.

Steven watched them depart with a sympathetic look. "All they wanted to do was make a living vegetable. Wait! I know how to do that!" He looked down at a pumpkin seed, bent down and licked it. "Garnet says not to lick stuff I find on the ground, but this is for a good cause."

He buried it into the ground and whistled cheerfully as he walked away.

O

Something was barking.

Jasper grunted with annoyance when Pumpkin stared up at her from the blankets. The creature looked like the produce that humans consumed, but it was alive in a way that suggested Rose had something to do with this. Steven rushed inside, laughing and noticing how Pumpkin paced around Jasper.

"What is this...thing?" Jasper snapped.

Steven laughed. "It's Pumpkin." he explained. "You know how my mom had powers that brought plants to life? Well, I can do that too."

Jasper frowned down at the tiny thing before picking it up with one hand. She tilted her head and the creature tilted its head, imitating her. Then, Pumpkin scampered up the length of Jasper's arm and snuggled underneath her broad chin for a comfortable place to rest.

Steven laughed and scratched his head. "Well, I think she likes you." he told her. "It's nice to have a new addition to the family."

Jasper snorted, but didn't seem to argue entirely with him either. She stared down at Pumpkin, sighed and rolled her eyes before lying down in the hay. She covered herself with her makeshift tent and said nothing more afterwards.

She had fallen asleep, but later awoke to Steven's voice. "Jasper? Jasper. Can I come in?"

Jasper was silent.

Steven inhaled deeply. "Alright, I'm coming in. Please don't headbutt me."

Jasper grunted, teeth snapping somewhat when Steven parted the blanket to step into her makeshift tent. She looked down at Pumpkin, scoffed and bumped the creature from her before sitting up. Steven had a plate of vegetables in his hands. He smiled hopefully up at her and held the plate higher.

"I brought you some food," he said, "From our feast. I would have invited you, but..."

Jasper took the offering and began to gobble it up without argument. Steven looked surprised for a moment, then he laughed and smiled.

"It's good, huh?" he told her.

Jasper contemplated answering. She simply gave a grunt after a moment and picked away at the corn. As far as she was concerned, it was acceptable. Steven was also holding something else in his hands. It was a green scarf with frayed ends and stitched pink lettering in it that formed Jasper's name As well as a little pink diamond.

Steven brightened and held out the offering. "Here. I made this for you." he told her. "It's...sort of a gift."

She'd never been given gifts by anyone any any time before, so to be offered something was odd. She took the scarf, turned it in her hands for study.

"What is it?" she snapped, "Some ridiculous cleaning cloth?"

Steven shook his head. "No. It's a scarf. I made it myself and Connie helped!" he told her. "You'd been sleeping here for a few days now and no one really wanted to bother you, but I thought you could use a gift!"

"A scarf." Jasper didn't know what the point was.

"Yeah!" Steven told her. "In case you get cold."

Strangely, he received no retort, so he took that as acceptance. Jasper set the gift down, looked at the MP3 player and sighed with irritation.

"It stopped working." she told him.

"Oh! Well, let's see." Steven took the music player and looked at it, realizing it just needed to be charged. "Oh, it's out of juice. I can just charge it and bring it back for you." He smiled up at her. "So you like music?"

Jasper sighed. "Maybe. So what?"

"That's cool!" Steven said, happy to be having a peaceful conversation with her.

"What do you want, Rose?" Jasper growled, rolling her eyes. "You've come here with a gift and expect me to just talk like we're old friends?"

Steven sighed now, disappointed that Jasper was backpedaling again. "How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not Rose?"

Jasper glared at him. "You have her gem. You have her shield. How are you not Rose Quartz?"

"It's a long story."

"I bet it is. I don't care about long stories."

Then, Jasper stared down at the gift in confusion and annoyance.

What did Rose think giving her such a pitiful trifle? Was it to make her feel better about losing her Diamond to her blade? What was the point?

 _He isn't Rose and you know it._

There was that warning again. That whisper in the back of her mind that spoke honesty and logic.

 _But if that...thing wasn't Rose... Why did he have her gem?_

These were just so many questions she had, but didn't want to ask.

She looked down at her splotchy hand. Had her corruption been completely healed and this was just a reminder of it? She felt no different with it. No pain. No sickness in her core being.

What did it all mean?

Jasper remembered the last time she had been given a gift. A pearl made specifically to serve her needs. She had been loyal and didn't question her.

It was almost annoying.

"Hey, come on," Steven offered, reaching his hand out to her. "You don't have to stay in the barn if you don't want to."

"I want to."

"Okay." Steven said, with a nod. "Well, whenever you're ready to leave, you can come with me and we can all talk."

He started to leave and Jasper watched him go, surprised.

 _"Let me help you."_

Jasper shook her head rapidly, hearing the echo of Pink Diamond's voice in her head. She rose, Pumpkin watching her with a few happy sounds before following the large gem as she walked out of the barn.

O

Steven was hungry, so he opened a box and removed a plastic-wrapped package. Jasper watched him, tilting her head.

Steven hummed a happy tune to himself as he placed the package into the microwave. He pressed a few buttons and began to wait as it started up.

Jasper couldn't resist her curiosity. She made her way closer and Steven hadn't realized she was right behind him until he looked over his shoulder.

Steven noticed she seemed transfixed by the microwave. "Uh..." he said, "Are you hungry?"

Jasper frowned at the appliance, as if it would attack her at any moment. "What is this?" she snapped. "Some sort of primative projector?"

"No. It's a microwave," Steven explained, laughing. "I'm making popcorn. Did you want some?"

Jasper gave a snort in response. Though she was curious...

There was a particularly loud pop from inside the microwave, which startled Jasper. She jumped a little, raised her fist to attack the offending instrument. Steven raised two hands to stop her.

"Wait! It's just cooking! It's not going to attack you!" he assured her.

Jasper frowned down at them, then stared at the microwave as if it were a deadly weapon. She continued to watch the rotating device behind the glass. Steven managed to giggle at the slightest jump Jasper would make when a kernel popped.

Once the bag was finished, Steven removed it from the microwave and Jasper watched him, unable to resist her curiosity as he poured the now fluffy white kernels into a bowl. He offered the bowl to Jasper, who raised an eyebrow.

Finally, she took a handful and shoveled them into her mouth. Steven laughed in surprise at how eager she was to consume them. After a moment, Jasper's features lit up a little and she snatched the bowl, beginning to shovel more popcorn into her mouth.

"So, I guess you like a lot of snacks, huh?" he said. "That's okay. I can make more."

Pearl watched the scene from the window, a little bemused by Jasper's reaction. Somehow she had left the comfort of her hut, for...popcorn? So strange.

It made her smile though.

"This isn't a good idea," Peridot's voice drew her attention to the smaller gem at her side. "But at least Lapis is back in the barn."

"You're right," Pearl agreed, "We can't have them both in the same room together. At least for now."

Peridot grimaced at the thought. "It'll be messy, that's for sure..."

"I don't like this any more than you," Pearl told her, "But this is Steven's decision. We need to try and understand, especially how her corruption is healing."

Later, Jasper was sitting in the snow, watching the chilled water of the ocean in front of her. It was slowly starting to snow again, covering her in a thin sheet of it.

The ocean gave her flashes of memory; when she was fused to Malachite. How much she had enjoyed the pain dealt to her. It was what she deserved.

 _But..._

Jasper snarled in frustration, slapping the water with one fierce hand. She kicked the snow, sending sprays of powder everywhere.

"Jasper?"

The gem scowled, turning in Steven's direction. He was bundled up for the weather and carried a bag on his shoulder.

"Listen, Pearl and I were going to the store to pick up a few things." he told her. "You can...come along if you want."

Jasper tilted her head. "Why?"

"Well, maybe you can see how humans do things," Steven suggested. "Maybe you'll see that we're not all that bad."

Jasper smiled sarcastically. "I don't need to go to a 'store' to see that."

"Okay, but we need to get more popcorn since you ate it all," Steven told her. "Maybe some butter or sweet corn."

Jasper looked mildly interested. "They have others?"

"Well... Well, yes." Steven said, smiling. He began counting on his fingers. "Caramel - but I don't like that kind so much since it gets stuck in my teeth. They have sea salt. Garlic..."

Jasper seemed to think about it.

"Plus, we can always get more pomegranates for you." Steven suggested.

O

People were staring at them.

Jasper didn't really seem to care much. But Pearl and Steven were worried that someone would say something to send her over the edge. That if anything, she would start fights with humans. Strangely enough, Jasper didn't seem to care about anything that was whispered. She looked more distracted than anything else.

They entered the shopping mart and Jasper couldn't resist looking around. There was food as far as she could see; lined up in shelves, on carts and in cooling units. So this was where it all came from. She actually found it somewhat interesting how humans had so much at their disposal.

Jasper wandered off and Steven immediately followed her. Pearl wandered in another direction to find the things that they needed. She could hear them talking in another aisle and couldn't resist the urge to listen. She even peeked through the shelves.

"...Well, marshmallows are pretty good. I love making S'mores with them."

"What's that?"

"S'mores? Well, it's when you take a graham cracker, some chocolate, heat the marshmallow up until it's really gooey and you put them all together like a sandwich!"

Steven had emphasized his words with silly hand gestures and Jasper looked a little intrigued.

"I might buy some and we can make them with the fireplace!"

"...Okay."

It was strange and a little too surreal for Pearl to see Jasper a little more cooperative now. It seemed like that if she got something that she wanted, she was pacified.

Like a child.

Jasper wandered down the aisle with Steven when an employee thrust a plate of cookies in her face.

"Free sample?" she said, grinning cheerfully.

Jasper raised an eyebrow and pointed down at the plate. "This is free?"

"Yes, ma'am!" the employee said, still smiling.

Jasper shrugged and plucked the entire plate from her hands without asking for it. If it was free, then she'd take them all. The employee smiled weakly.

"Uhm...okay." she said.

Jasper began to eat the cookies and Steven couldn't help but laugh a little at the sight. Well, so far so good. No problems.

He spotted Nanefua attempting to reach a can on a high shelf. She smiled when she saw Steven approach.

"Well, hello, Steven!" she said.

She noticed Jasper now and had to lean her head back far to see her in full. A smile spread across her face and she gave a chuckle.

"My, my, aren't you close to the stars!" she laughed.

Jasper curled her nose at the laugh. What was THAT supposed to imply?

"So, are the others here?" Steven asked Nanefua.

She shook her head. "No. They're shoveling out the restaurant. And I needed some things."

Jasper finished the tray of cookies and set the tray down onto the floor. She didn't know where else to put it and it didn't seem to hurt anything.

"So how did you get here by yourself?"

"Oh, I drove."

The conversation was beginning to bore Jasper, so she started to wander around the store for a bit. An employee passed her, slipped on the tray with a frantic yell. Jasper watched with amusement as he slid across the floor, his thin arms waving wildly in an attempt to steady himself before he crashed into a tower of soup cans.

Jasper gave a loud guffaw.

Then, she felt several accusing eyes on her and frowned.

"What?" she asked.

O

Jasper sat on a bench across the street, chin in her hands.

How dare they kick her out like she was a useless pearl! And ordered to wait, no less! But despite all of that, she wasn't planning on causing unnecessary problems. Still, it was funny watching the human fall the way he had. It made her smirk a little.

Her mind began to wander a bit now that she was alone - and it was quiet. The snow-covered little town was replaced with the scorching ashes of war around her. She saw gems strewn about, begging her for mercy. Jasper hadn't realized she had stood up and was walking out into the street, lost in her own nightmarish memory.

Steven and Pearl saw it through the window. Their eyes widened in horror and they quickly rushed out to stop her.

"Jasper! Snap out of it!" Pearl shouted.

A car was coming right toward her and Jasper immediately snapped out of her memory, alerted by the sound of a car horn blaring loudly in her ear. She didn't realize that she had unceremoniously picked it up, thinking it had been an enemy of war.

She looked around, breathless and horrified. "What...?"

Steven and Pearl stared at her worriedly.

"Jasper...put the car down..." Steven attempted to calm her. "You're okay."

Jasper glanced up. Car? What car was he... Oh. She looked at the vehicle in her arms and the frightened man latched in the seat like a startled cat. She frowned and set the car down with a loud crash.

The man was absolutely terrified, retreating from her as far as he could go in his seat.

Jasper saw the wary stares, read the judgement on the watching humans before she snorted. "Whatever."

That evening, Steven was making S'mores in the fireplace as he had assured her he would. Jasper was simply sitting in silence, toying with the music box in her hands. Pearl was sitting on the chair nearby, roasting her own marshmallow. She made a face when it burned into nothing more than black goo.

"I think I'm doing this wrong." she muttered.

Steven laughed. "You left it cooking too long."

He plucked the marshmallow from the little stick he had used and hissed sharply at the heat from it. He set up a plate with all the necessary parts needed. Jasper watched as he set up what he called "S'mores" and tilted her head like a confused dog.

"Here!" he offered, holding the plate out to her.

Jasper frowned, picked it up and took a big bite. Then, she winced and spat it back out. Steven chuckled, shaking his head.

"Well, it's hot, Jasper." he reminded her.

Pearl smiled a little.

Then, her smile disappeared and she regarded Jasper with concern. "Jasper." she said. "What happened out there? In the street?"

"Nothing."

"Something did. You picked up a car and you looked ready to fight it."

Jasper seemed so tired now. "I was in the war, remember?" she snapped.

"We all were."

"YOU were not. You weren't built for it. I was."

"I still fought beside my fellow gems."

"And AGAINST them." Jasper hissed, showing her teeth. "But I remember it differently, don't I?"

She stared into the fire, her cold grimace relaxing. "I remember all of those gems lying at my feet. I remember them looking up at me, begging me for mercy... Condemning me to be shattered."

Steven sighed, staring at her sadly. "I'm sorry, Jasper."

"Why?" Jasper looked confused by that. "What is there to be sorry for?"

"I mean, for what happened."

"It happened anyway. Sorry won't fix it."

"I know! I just... It seems like the thing people should say."

Jasper's surprise turned to confusion. Then to annoyance. Then to anger. It was like watching a symphony unfold on her face.

"Something people should say." she reiterated, with a cold scoff.

"No! I mean..." Steven attempted to fix what he had said, but he sighed. "Nevermind."

"Don't talk about things you know nothing of, Rose." Jasper's voice was as cold as the wind outside.

They were silent for a long time. Jasper looked down at the MP3 and clutched it tighter in her hands. She began to play the music again. A rare, contented smile lit her lips. It actually made Pearl flush a little. Jasper could look endearing when she wanted to.

Steven looked down at Jasper's arm, then to Pearl. "Do you think Jasper's corruption is really gone?"

Pearl shifted a little. "I don't know. We could always get Garnet and find out."

Jasper sighed with disinterest at the conversation, but then again, understanding this strange phenomena would be a good idea. It took a few moments before Garnet approached. She looked at the larger gem with that constant calm facade.

"Alright, Jasper. Let's see." she said.

Jasper lifted her head a bit, a silent gesture of permission. It would be good to learn from the fusion if that was her skill. Anything if it meant she could be what she was again.

Garnet raised two hands to Jasper's face, thumbs resting against her gemstone. Jasper watched her, then glanced at Pearl and Steven. What was she supposed to do?

It took a moment before Garnet backed away, her voice light with shock.

"It can't be." she barely managed to breathe out.

Pearl looked at her in confusion. "What?" she exclaimed. "What is it?"

"Her corruption..." Garnet's eyes widened behind her glasses. "It's..."

"It's WHAT?" Steven asked, anxious.

"It's...gone."


	6. Chapter Six: Family Remains

~O~

 **Chapter Six: Family Remains**

Jasper, Pearl and Steven looked at Garnet in confusion.

"Are you blind, fusion?" Jasper snapped, raising her splotchy hand. "Can't you see what THIS is?"

Garnet pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. She quickly seemed to calm herself, but such was how she was. Still, the thought of Jasper healing her corruption somehow on her own bothered her. It hadn't been possible for any gem to do that.

"That could be the remnants of a scar of sorts." she explained.

"It still doesn't explain anything!" Jasper snapped, scooping up the MP3.

Pearl looked at her worriedly. "Jasper, we should consider the possibilities." she said. "Maybe somehow you were able to do it yourself. Perhaps Steven's healing abilities just...kickstarted it."

"I don't need advice from a lost, defective pearl!" Jasper spat, quickly making her way to the bathroom to hide from their ridiculous stares.

The others watched her go, completely lost by the sudden outburst. Only Pearl suspected the reason. Being seen in a vulnerable state, especially for a Quartz soldier must have been demeaning to her.

Lion attempted to follow Jasper into the bathroom, but one little push from Jasper's leg simply inched him back out.

A sigh from Steven.

"Jasper, you can't just - " Pearl began.

Garnet's voice interrupted her. "Enough, Pearl; let's just leave her be for now."

The kindness from the fusion was strange, but Jasper felt too tired to care. She looked down at the scarf that Steven had made for her, still laying on the floor.

She was tired.

Eventually, Lion had joined her in the bathroom, resting his head across her lap while she slept. Jasper didn't argue with it this time.

O

Pearl remembered when she had been made.

It wasn't like human babies and she remembered when Steven had asked her about it once. She just remembered nothing, then opening her eyes on Homeworld. In the Incubation Pearl Chamber of Pink Diamond's court.

Pearl remembered how she had been dressed. Veil over her eyes. White gown, elaborate jewels. She was really the most beautiful of her kind in the court; a perfectly produced plaything for the highest elite. And their laws said that she could not look upon another unless told to.

But Pearl also remembered how she had looked at other gems. How she had seen pearls of other types, colors and appearance be taken around the streets.

She remembered when she had first spoken. Was it impulsive? Perhaps. A pearl was not permitted to ask questions unless told to.

But she had looked at her owner from beneath the veil and asked a simple, single question.

 _"Why?"_

Pearls were never made to question. They were made to carry out orders. So this was...different.

 _"What is it, Pearl?"_

 _"Why..." Pearl found her voice then, soft and careful. "Why..."_

She didn't know what else to say. Was she defective in some way? Pearl knew what became of defective gems.

Broken. Shattered. Rebuilt anew.

 _"What are you trying to say?"_

 _Pearl lowered her head. She didn't speak anymore._

Pearl shut her eyes, trying to forget the memory. It wasn't practical to look back at the past, even though she did constantly, when her mind went to Rose.

She remembered how the way of battle had interested her. How she had seen Rose move and bend with her sword in practice. She watched how elegant the gem she was made for moved. How much she adored seeing Rose that way. So happy. So content.

Pearl also remembered when Rose had caught her trying to use a sword of her own.

 _The sword fell to the floor with a loud clatter._

 _Pearl was shaking, caught in the presence of her. Rose was staring at her, with a mixture of surprise and confusion. This was unheard of. A pearl acting on her own in such a way._

 _Tears streamed down Pearl's cheeks. She held a hand to her mouth. "F-Forgive me..." she moaned, "I didn't intend - "_

 _Rose held out two hands and Pearl was sure she was going to be taken away; Sent back to the Incubation Chamber to be shattered._

 _She didn't mean what happened next. She was so afraid. She acted purely on impulse and self-preservation and bolted for the door like a frightened animal._

 _Rose attempted to hold her back from fleeing from the room._

 _"Pearl, wait!" Rose cried._

 _"No! Please, don't shatter me!" Pearl begged, outright sobbing and struggling like a squirming familiar. "Please!"_

 _"I'm not going to shatter you! Just listen to me!"_

 _"I don't want to die!" Pearl was in hysterics, her jewels rattling all over her as she shook and thrashed._

 _"Pearl, please listen!"_

 _Pearl was still wailing and sobbing. Rose grabbed her, wrapped her larger arms around her thin frame and shushed her, swaying back and forth as if she were a small organic infant._

 _"Shhh, it's okay," Rose assured her, "Shh, calm down, pearl. It's okay!"_

 _Pearl continued to weep in Rose's hair. It was so demeaning and surely Rose would punish her. But she felt such comfort in her arms, such contentment in the sweet smell of her._

 _"There's something wrong with me..." Pearl spoke through hysterical hiccups._

 _Rose laughed softly, gently and shook her head. She gave Pearl's cheek a few gentle pets. "No! Nothing's wrong with you!"_

 _"I'm not a pearl!" Pearl began to cry again. "Pearl's don't do this. Something's wrong..." She continued mumbling it through her tear-soaked hands. "I'm wrong, I'm wrong..."_

 _"You are NOT wrong." Rose assured her, cupping her cheeks and bringing her face up to look at her. "This...is something new. Something wonderful!"_

 _Pearl sniffled a little and looked at her sorrowfully. "Do you hate me?"_

 _Another warm, gentle laugh. "Of course not! It's clear to me that there is something special about you, pearl. Something different than all of the others. And I am proud of this. I am HAPPY to have a pearl like you for me."_

 _Pearl managed to smile, calming her breath a little._

 _"Now then, what was that stance you were doing earlier?"_

 _Pearl stood up once Rose released her. She picked up the sword and attempted a few practice swings. "I don't know. I saw another gem doing it."_

 _"Show me."_

O

Steven awoke to the sound of moaning.

Jasper had been laying in the bathtub and was in the middle of what he could guess was a terrible dream. She thrashed, twisted and mumbled in distress.

Steven watched her sadly before he started down the steps. But he froze when he saw Pearl approaching Jasper.

"I'll shatter you... Where are you?'' Jasper's heightened cries of distress and urgency were almost heart-wrenching.

Pearl made a face. She sighed and cast her gaze upwards.

Steven didn't know what to say as he watched Pearl kneel down and gently stroke Jasper's face. It must have worked because Jasper's sounds had stopped. She merely mumbled a little and stretched before rolling onto her side away from Pearl, one arm tucked beneath her chin like Lion.

"Pearl?"

Pearl jumped a bit and turned, noticing Steven was wide awake. "Steven? What are you doing up?" she asked.

"I heard Jasper having bad dreams." Steven said.

Pearl nodded. Her features darkened a little. "I had bad dreams too."

When Pearl would dream, there were times when her gem projected the images. It was out of her control at times. From the look on her face, Steven knew it must have been bad. But he didn't ask about them. Instead, he took one of the blankets and draped it over Jasper.

Pearl chuckled gently. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Tucking her in." Steven said.

Another soft chuckle. "Why?"

"Maybe it'll make her feel better."

"I think Jasper needs a little more than that, Steven." Pearl said.

She looked surprised when he made his way to his room, gathered several plush toys and set them down around her. He smiled and backed away to admire his work.

"Wow, she sleeps pretty deep." he said, noticing that she hadn't stirred from his actions.

"I envy her." Pearl admitted, with a laugh.

Steven looked up at her with mild concern. "Pearl, do you think Jasper's going to be okay now?"

"Why do you ask?"

"It's just... I know it may take some time for everyone to get used to her. And I really want everything to work out."

"We all respect your decision, Steven. And Jasper has made improvement. A little improvement but for her, it's a strong start. I say that's more than enough for now."

"I just want her to be happy." Steven said.

A quiet sight from Pearl. "I know..."

They didn't notice that Jasper's eyes had been open the entire time.

O

Jasper awoke the next morning, grimacing at the sight of several dead-looking eyes staring at her from Steven's stuffed animals. She gave them a push before straightening herself. Stepping out of the bathroom, she looked around. There didn't seem to be anyone nearby.

Amethyst suddenly appeared from her room with a yawn. "Well, house to myself!" she announced.

Then, she looked over at Jasper and suddenly looked quite guarded. Jasper narrowed her eyes with a scowl on her face.

"What are you looking at, runt?" she snapped.

Amethyst made a face. "You know, I told Steven I'd behave." she warned. "Don't make me put you back in the bubble."

A cold guffaw from Jasper. "As if you could."

Amethyst growled under her breath, itching to retrieve her whips from the safety of her gem. "Don't tempt me." she muttered.

She gathered some food from the fridge and Jasper stood up. She wandered around the kitchen a little, seemingly lost. Amethyst watched her while she began to work on building a sandwich out of lunch meat and various other trimmings.

"What are you doing?" Amethyst asked, sighing.

Jasper sat down and glanced around for a while. "Where are the others?"

"Well, they had to do a mission and I didn't feel like going. Someone had to watch you, so...here I am." Amethyst shoveled the entire sandwich into her mouth with a satisfied rumble.

Jasper strangely didn't offer a retort or negative stream of insults.

Amethyst noticed a magazine lying on the counter and picked it up. She grinned happily. "Ooh, we can order takeout!"

Jasper stared at her strangely.

"Trust me, sis; the takeout I get is to DIE FOR."

Jasper rolled her eyes. She continued to look around before frowning at Amethyst. "So...what are we supposed to do?"

Amethyst seemed more focused on the magazine than Jasper's question. "Hmm?" She finally stopped paging through it enough to look up at her. "What do you mean?"

Jasper stared at her in disbelief. "What do I mean?" she said. "I mean..." She gestured around the house, almost seconds from losing her temper. "I mean... WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO?"

"We're doing it right now," Amethyst told her. "We're in the thick of the action here. It's a lazy Sunday morning. Usually, I like to hang out with Steven, but I think now that I have a big sister, maybe I should hang out with you."

Jasper's expression was almost comical. She was unable to fathom what Amethyst was saying and instead, the other gem laughed.

"Steven had me rehearsing all morning." she said.

Jasper gave a grunt of disinterest.

"Well, I mean, I've never had a sister before so - " Amethyst didn't get a chance to finish.

"We're NOT SISTERS!" Jasper bellowed, jolting forward and grabbing the ends of the counter with two hands. "I will NEVER associate myself with such a puny, defective little runt like you!"

Amethyst had been seconds away from retrieving her whip. She almost looked hurt by Jasper's words, but the expression vanished in place of a more guarded, colder look.

"Whether you like it or not, we are from the same colony," she said, her voice fighting to keep calm. "And whether you like it or not, you're with us now because Steven says so."

Jasper knew exactly what that meant.

 _You're here because now you owe him._

The idea was despicable. Horrible. Downright pathetic.

She tried not to think about it, but it edged away at her.

O

Amethyst started playing video games while Jasper paced around the temple. She could hear her heavy footsteps below stop for a few moments and then start up again. A few choice complaints and the occasional yell at Lion for "being in the way".

She rolled her eyes.

Then, she sensed Jasper behind her and frowned. The larger gem was staring at the screen, confused by the fighting game that Amethyst was playing. So, Amethyst decided that it might be a good start to ease the tension in the house a little.

"Hey, wanna play?" Amethyst asked.

Jasper didn't seem to understand the game. "Why? What is this?"

Amethyst went on to explain the game to her. "Well, you pick a character like this..." She set the second controller in Jasper's lap while the gem took a seat beside her. "And you fight."

The idea of fighting in any shape or form made Jasper smile. Well, that was one thing that she had always taken pride in. So this must have been a simulator of sorts.

"Fight then. Alright." Jasper said.

A few hours had passed and the other gems returned from their mission. They were surprised to see Jasper and Amethyst sitting together in front of the television, playing video games. Not fighting one another. But Steven was definitely happy to see them getting along.

He smiled brightly and walked up to meet them. He squeezed himself between the two gems and stared at the screen.

"Ooh, I like this game!" he said. "Who's winning?"

Jasper's character was a massive, muscular samurai who was beating Amethyst's into the ground. She was pursing her lips with effort and mashing the same button over and over.

Steven and Amethyst stared at the screen with wide eyes.

Jasper smiled triumphantly, thrusting her arms in the air. "I did it!" she cried.

Her delight brought forth a smile from Pearl.

Later that evening, Peridot and Lapis were spending time together in the barn. Lapis had her eyes glued to the television in front of her. She was watching Camp Pining Hearts in silence, which seemed to bother Peridot a little.

She sighed, shut off the television and looked at her.

"Okay, what's wrong?" Peridot said.

Lapis frowned and moved to switch it back on. "I was watching that."

Peridot scowled and switched it right back off. "I'm turning off Camp Pining Hearts for you." she snapped. "Need I remind you it is the best season. I don't do that for anyone, you know."

Lapis moved to turn the television back on, but Peridot stopped her by taking the cord out of the wall, picking the device up with both hands and fleeing.

"What? Peridot!" Lapis yelled.

Peridot ran with the enormous television in her arms, panting and grunting.

"Not until you talk to me!" she yelled back.

"This is stupid!" Lapis cried, chasing her.

"YOU'RE THE ONE BEING STUPID!"

"I'M NOT RUNNING WITH A TV RIGHT NOW!"

The two raced across the field before Peridot yelped as she stumbled, lost her balance and dropped the television on the ground. Luckily, it didn't shatter the screen.

Lapis loomed over her with an impatient scowl.

"Just tell me why you can't go back to Steven's!" Peridot challenged.

Lapis sighed. "I thought you knew why."

"Is it about Jasper? I already knew that."

Lapis looked a little surprised. "You did?"

"Uh, yeah?" Peridot said, shrugging her shoulders with her typical grimace. "I think everyone did."

Lapis looked away, ashamed. She should have known how obvious it was. But it was also important for her to get away from Jasper. Not just for herself, but for Jasper's sake. What would happen if they spoke again? Interacted in any way? Would it end the way it did on the ship?

Probably.

"I just can't go back. Not yet." Lapis told her.

Peridot exhaled. "Fine."

She moved to retrieve the television. "But you should know that Jasper hasn't said anything about you or fusion lately."

"What?" Lapis found that hard to believe.

"Yeah." Peridot seemed troubled. "She hasn't done much of anything."

Lapis wanted to consider the possibilities as to why this was. Maybe Jasper's corruption had still affected her mental state. She couldn't possibly believe that she had suddenly had an epiphany and things would be different.

Steven may have had hope for her, but Lapis did not.

O

Jasper didn't know where she was going.

But the pearl insisted that it was important that she come along. Garnet had also insisted on joining her as she didn't trust Jasper alone with Pearl. Pearl didn't offer argument either way. She seemed quite focused this morning.

"Where are we going?" Jasper snapped.

They didn't tell her anything more, and Jasper felt a nagging feeling in the back of her mind that it could be a trap. She was tense, shoulders squared. She suddenly felt vulnerable.

But instead, she noticed that they were walking into an enormous, ruined temple. The spires had all but crumbled; a shadowed memory of what they once stood for. Gem Authority.

"Come on. She's inside." Garnet said.

She? Jasper looked confused. "Who is 'she'?" she asked.

She didn't get an answer when she stepped inside. Instead, she SAW it before her eyes. Jasper uttered a soft gasp at the sight.

What knelt before them was what she could guess was a fusion of pearl multitudes. It had six long, spider-like arms and long, white hair draped across its face. The gem situated on its head had overgrown into a lumpy opalescent mess over her eyes. Her white robes were frayed, tattered at the ends and draped over her legs.

The room she was dwelling in consisted of murals and even handmade painting of other gems. A few designs of shells and stones littered the floor around her. It looked like a den for a hoarder. Jasper was certainly guilty of such things.

The enormous fusion of pearls sniffed the air slightly before a smile broke out across her chapped, pale lips. Her hands raked the ground beneath her, as if using them to feel the pressure in the earth. Perhaps she couldn't see and these were senses that she used to do so.

"Mm, Renegade Pearl, and Garnet you've come back." she said, her voice like a million melodies of songs. It was almost beautiful.

Garnet spoke up. "It's good to see you." she told the fusion. "I trust that everything is alright here?"

The pearl chuckled, the sound vibrating Jasper's being. She had no thought to how a fusion of pearls might look like or sound. But this one - a combination of slaves and worker class gems - was nothing like a singular pearl. This one spoke with the power of a Diamond.

"Yes. All is well."

"You've kept peace in the oceans, I see." Pearl remarked. "Any humans offering you trouble?"

The great head moved slowly back and forth. "None. I preserve their safety as how it benefits us all. You are busy gems. I can do more in this place."

Then, she was suddenly very alert and sniffed the air again before sighing. Her mouth quirked a little. "What sort of woeful creature have you brought to me? Ah yes. A Jasper. And one so young."

Jasper scowled up at the pearl fusion. "Don't talk like you know me!" she bellowed.

The pearl fusion chuckled gently, almost soothingly. "I don't pretend to understand things. I am no Diamond. I simply sense them as they are presented before me."

She moved close and Jasper held her ground, scowling at the fused monstrosity.

"A malicious sort, ah yes, I see..." the pearl mused. "One driven by vengeance and one soaked deep in the pains of despair." She straightened and shook her head. "Clinging to such lofty dreams of revenge when it matters not in the end. More's the pity..."

"Don't talk to me like that!" Jasper spat, pointing up at her. She was itching to tear this fusion apart at the seams. "You have NO RIGHT! You're a pearl! An abomination of slaves!"

The pearl smiled now. "An abomination, she says..." She brought one of her sets of arms together, fingertips touching. "How interesting."

The enormous fusion moved toward a mural, running one set of fingers across it.

"Did you know what we were, Lost Jasper?" she said. "We were pearls who were doomed to be shattered the moment we took that breath of life. Defective. They would kill us without a second thought. So we came here, hid away for a while where we merged together. Stronger as we are..."

Jasper frowned.

"You see, Lost Jasper," the pearl told her. "A thing isn't beautiful or perfect simply because it follows a certain law or expectation. It is beautiful because it just is what it is. There is beauty in change, Lost Jasper. You will soon come to understand this."

Jasper didn't like the near patronizing tone coming from the fusion - or what she perceived as such. She looked at Pearl and Garnet, suddenly feeling stripped bare.

"Why did you take me here?" she demanded.

"To show you that there are gems who have stepped away from the order of the Diamonds. Not just us. Gems who are living lives as they feel they should." Pearl argued quietly.

Jasper didn't understand. It was clear by the scowl on her face. Her old ways resurfaced and she gave a cold, mocking laugh.

"So you expect me to feel sympathy for this fused abomination of pearls?" she sneered. "Please!"

A defense, Pearl thought. How interesting she could see through Jasper now that she had seen her at her most vulnerable.

The fusion of pearls didn't seem offended by her comment. "When you speak... You are not speaking for us. You are speaking for yourself."

It was amazing watching Jasper freeze immediately by the fusion of pearls' words. Garnet and Pearl looked surprised to hear the fusion speak so calmly, so assuredly.

 _You suffer because it's what you deserve._

Pearl remembered when Steven had told her of the incident; how Jasper had condemned the corruption in the cell and how she had said such things.

 _Correction: I suffer because it's what I deserve._

"Ah, I see now..." the pearl fusion rumbled. "I understand. It's not so simple for one such as yourself. Self-loathing harbored in the gem of one built in perfection. Hm. Yes, I see..."

She continued repeating it, as if such a thing were a fascinating discovery she needed to study.

The six arms on her body folded together in bizarre movements. She moved her legs, stretched them out to soak in the pool nearby.

She then extended a hand to Jasper. "Come."

Jasper was bemused by the request. "What? Why?"

"Let me show you the world in which I govern. Which I protect."

Jasper almost laughed at the absurdity. A pearl ruling anything was utterly ridiculous.

Yet a part of her felt curious. Perhaps there was something to this odd creature that yielded secrets beyond her understanding. Maybe there was also a better knowledge of what made this world so valuable to the rebels.

Jasper met Steven's stare, reading the way he looked at her reassuringly.

Finally, she decided to jump into the water before the fused pearl could.

O

The world below was different than what Jasper had expected.

She recognized spires and buildings from the First Era of gem life. Many of them looked to have been built before her creation. As she was swimming, she noticed the fused pearl moving about near her. A smile of comfort. An odd gesture of her head.

Jasper didn't know what it meant. But she followed.

She was shocked then to see dozens of corrupted gems swimming nearby. Some had taken the forms of Earth sea life. Others looked like the Quartz hounds she had trapped above. What did this all mean? Why were they here?

She followed the fused pearl toward a chapel. Jasper knew what it was. A place of gem worship to build in honor of the Diamond Authority. Such an odd thing to see below the ocean.

They swam together until reaching a wall covered in mural designs. The fused pearl swam through a wicked hole that resembled the shot of a laser canon. Jasper followed. They surfaced inside the chapel and Jasper spent some time looking around.

The fused pearl stepped out, shaking the water from her enormous body. She took a seat and waited for Jasper to climb out before speaking.

"It was here that we found sanctuary." she said. "Here where we were made for Pink Diamond."

Jasper looked up at her, throat tightening at the mention of her Diamond. "What? YOU?"

"Indeed." the response was always calm, always serene. "We were made here in this very spot, among the shelter of the walls. But the other Diamonds were not like her. They saw us as broken, flawed abominations that would be shattered."

Jasper frowned. She could imagine that. The Diamond Authority did not believe that anything imperfect should be allowed to live.

The fused pearl reached up to a mural of Pink Diamond, gently stroking with one of her many hands. She chuckled warmly.

"But Pink Diamond could not shatter us. She loved us too much," she continued, "So she had this place destroyed. Sunk deep into the ocean and made for us to live here. In silence. In peace."

Jasper didn't understand. Pink Diamond had defied the other Diamonds? It made no sense!

"Earth is such a strange place," the fused pearl said, "So odd. So...chaotic."

Despite the pearl's blindness, she looked directly at Jasper. "But I believe there is a saving grace in all of them. And Pink Diamond did as well. I think you missed that when you served among her."

Jasper scoffed. "This planet was going to be great!" she shouted, "They could have served under a great Diamond! Instead, they are protected by slaves and abominations!"

The pearl simply continued without consequence. "I suppose we're all disappointments."

Jasper actually laughed a little. She sighed, staring down into the darkness of the water. How strange that such a comment would amuse her.

Maybe it wasn't strange at all given the circumstances.

"Suppose we are." she replied.

They sat in silence, watching the mural of Pink Diamond. To them, she had been the most magnificent and none could take her place.

Jasper had something in common with a pearl. And a pearl fusion, no less.

How ridiculous.

"Learn the song of this world," the fusion told her, with a warm smile. "And appreciate its broken melodies. Find the beauty in it. For there is beauty in everything."

The fusion of pearls had a bit of wisdom to her words.

She remembered how it was like when she first fused. But it was during the war. After she had witnessed the Rebel fusion, she had not asked. She had ORDERED that a gem fuse with her.

A soldier, like her.

How they had run through ruins and smoked earth like a wild beast unleashed. Screaming.

She hadn't recognized the noises.

How feral they sounded.

How much hate carried in the call.

And how the soldier had looked at her with such disgust and fear. She had seen something in Jasper when they had fused. Something that made her avoidable. Whatever it had been, Jasper never fused for a long time after that.

Jasper had hated herself, but she had also been angry. How could they look at her that way? Fusing with her should have been an honor! She was the perfect Quartz!

Or...so they made her believe.

Jasper felt no more perfect than a defect.

No more worthy of love than a corrupted beast that she was.

O

"So...you saw her? The pearl fusion?" Amethyst asked.

She looked intrigued, almost delighted.

Jasper nodded. "Yeah. You didn't tell me she belonged to Pink Diamond."

"Eh, I neglect to mention a lot of things." Amethyst laughed.

Jasper rolled her eyes. She thought about the words that the pearl had said, how she had actually spoken with more of a wisdom than pearls were thought to have. Or at least, how Jasper thought of pearls.

Her mind wandered to the Pearl now. She imagined her as a status symbol among Rose Quartz. A slave. A simple toy, albeit a fancy one at that.

No, even she could see that wasn't the right word to describe this pearl. Or the fused one in the sea. Jasper had witnessed how even slaves could form their own destinies. Useless ones, but they had made their own choices and decided their own fates.

Could she do that?

She didn't know.

Pearl had ushered Amethyst away so that she could sit beside Jasper alone. The other gem had issued a few choice complaints, but Pearl would not hear it. She looked up at Jasper.

"So what did she tell you?" she asked.

"The runt?"

"No, not - " Pearl sighed heavily. "The fused pearl below the sea."

Jasper looked down at her splotchy hand for the longest time. She ran her fingertips over it a few times, distracted for a moment before she answered.

"We just talked about her."

Pearl looked surprised. "Oh."

The silence that followed afterwards was almost nice. Jasper found herself too tired to complain about the pearl's presence.

O

Connie had stayed later after school to finish up her work. She really wanted to talk to Steven about Jasper's progress after she got home.

A Cluster Gem wandered nearby while Connie waited outside for her mother to pick her up. She spoke to her over the phone, failing to see the Cluster Gem approaching.

"...I'm here. I just finished up my project..."

She caught the sight of movement behind the buses and frowned.

"Hello?" she called.

She had ended the call with her mother and noticed the shape of the Cluster Gem shift behind a bus. Connie's eyes widened in horror.

"Oh no!" she exclaimed.

She slapped a hand over her mouth, but it was too late. The Cluster Gem had heard her. It looked over with a gurgled sound. Connie turned and ran with the creature giving chase.

She hurriedly dialed Steven's number.

Steven was washing his hands when he noticed Connie calling. He picked up the phone, hit the ANSWER button and brought the phone to his ear.

"Hey, Connie!" he said. "Are you done with school for the day?"

His eyes widened.

He quickly raced out into the kitchen, where Amethyst was working to clean out the garbage disposal. She was still laughing about how Jasper had thrown checkers pieces down the drain. Jasper seemed oddly smug about it.

"Sis, it doesn't work like that." she remarked, face covered in grease, "Believe me, I tried."

Pearl huffed and folded her arms across her chest. "I hardly think you're helping, Amethyst."

Steven ran up to them.

"Guys!" he exclaimed. "Connie's at school and one of those Cluster Gem things is after her!"

Pearl gasped in alarm and Amethyst ended up hidding her head on a pipe. She cursed loudly, gripping her head and sitting up.

"Let's go!" she said.

Jasper followed her. She wanted to know for certain if it had been one from her army she had attempted to create.

"Wait, Jasper - " Pearl began, stopping her before she could leave.

Amethyst smiled. "It's okay! We need more muscle! Come on!"

Pearl hesitated before sighing. Garnet had gone to visit the other two at the barn and it left her alone with making decisions.

"Fine."

O

Connie really wished she had the sword right now.

She had taken cover behind a tree nearest the school, trying to hide from the Cluster Gem. It flipped cars, uttered cooing clicks and paced around the lot in search of the human. She grimaced and clutched her phone tightly to her ear.

"Steven!" she whispered. "I hope you're on your way!"

Steven was on Lion's back and they were rushing down the street. "I am! Why didn't you bring the sword?"

 _"YOU DON'T TAKE SWORDS TO SCHOOL!"_ Connie yelled.

Steven jerked his head away from the phone, grimacing at the volume. "Oh, right..." he said, sheepishly, "I guess you don't." He looked down at Lion. "Hurry!"

Just then, Jasper and Amethyst were spinning passed him. He laughed at the sight. Seeing the two Quartz sisters bonding in even a small way was actually a good thing. Even in such a dire situation.

When they arrived at the school, Jasper was the first to spot the Cluster Gem. Not soon afterwards, another Cluster Gem had joined the search and she knew that these were from her personal army. Looking at them now, she couldn't fathom why she thought they would ever make good warriors.

Connie looked up and smiled with relief when she saw Steven rushing up to her.

"Connie, are you okay?" he asked, looking her over for signs of wounds.

"I'm fine!" she told him.

A bus sailed by. A screech of pain. Followed by Jasper's triumphant yells and her rushing to chase down the fleeting Cluster Gem.

"Jasper, wait!" Amethyst said. A grin lit her voice. "Let me try!"

Pearl came running by. "Amethyst, the Cluster Gem is not a toy!"

Steven and Connie looked over and almost laughed at the sight of Amethyst taking the shape of a bus and bumping her form on top of the Cluster Gem. Pearl was trying to restore order, holding her spear tightly in her hands.

"Amethyst, this is hardly appropriate!" she cried.

"Bus bump!" Amethyst yelled, "Bus bump!"

"Don't toy with it!"

Behind the two, a Cluster Gem hovered. Lion was moments away from tearing it apart, but Jasper got there first. She grabbed the Cluster Gem in two hands, produced her helmet and slammed it hard into the creature. It disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Immediately, Steven bubbled the twisted Gem Mutation.

Jasper smirked with pride. "How have you even survived without battle skills like mine, Steven?"

Immediately, Jasper's eyes widened when she caught herself. She had completely been rid of her pride and now looked completely ashamed of what she had just said. Steven and Connie stared in wide-eyed shock and Amethyst was also in a similar way. She was holding the other Cluster Gem in a bubble. Pearl could not believe her ears.

Steven looked literally star-struck. A bright, happy grin spread across his face.

"You... CALLED ME STEVEN!" he exclaimed, with a happy cry.

Jasper actually produced a light orange flush on her face. "What? No, I didn't!"

"Yeah, you kinda did." Amethyst told her, chuckling.

Pearl stared at Jasper with a mixture of surprise and uncertainty. This was a change. No, a DRASTIC change for the Quartz soldier. Did that finally mean she no longer looked at Steven in the way she used to? That there was no chance she'd try to make any further attempts on his life? She had no idea and it warranted further study.

Steven actually danced with glee and Connie seemed equally happy. Jasper just watched them with annoyance.

"I can't believe it! This is so amazing!" he said to Jasper, "You called me Steven!"

Jasper didn't know what the need for the praise was for. It made her feel odd in a way she didn't like. She shifted on her heels a few times before scowling.

"Shut up! No I didn't!"

She sulked off with the others following behind her.

"I didn't! Stop singing, Steven!"

"YOU JUST DID IT AGAIN!" Steven yelled, with happy delight.

O

For the life of her, Jasper didn't understand the praise.

Connie and Steven had spent almost the entire evening talking about how amazing she was and how "awesome" it had been that she'd thrown a bus into the Cluster Gems. Amethyst had been there to back up her actions too.

Under normal circumstances, Jasper would have waved this praise off; but this was coming from the Rebels who had once held her under a blade. It felt strange and just too wrong to her.

"Alright, you two." Garnet said. "I believe Jasper's had enough for one day. Perhaps you should call your mother, Connie? I'm sure she's worried."

Jasper scowled at Garnet now. "I don't need you speaking for me, fusion!" she spat.

"As it is, I'm sure today has brought on some changes you're clearly not accustomed to." Garnet argued, with a continued tranquility. "Perhaps you need your space."

As much as Jasper wanted to continued arguing with her - Stars, even punch her in the face for speaking so impudently - she found that she couldn't. She knew now without a doubt that the thing that called itself Steven was not Rose.

Rose was not this kind.

Rose was not so forgiving.

Or at least, that was what Jasper knew.

But then again, hearing someone grateful to her made her feel almost...happy. ALMOST. Human children were so odd to her. And these two children seemed to genuinely appreciate her enough. It still gave her many more questions about where Rose was if this human at her feet wasn't her.

Connie had rushed home after the chaos had died down and Jasper had found solace above on one of the many hands of the temple statue. She was lying there, refusing to listen to the music that Steven had given her this time. She only wanted dead silence.

"Ah, I thought you were up here."

The pearl's voice made Jasper roll her eyes.

"Well, I thought you'd like to know that I'm proud of you, Jasper." Pearl told her. "You've come so far from...well...attempting to destroy us."

She laughed a little, but cut herself off when she noticed Jasper's almost annoyed stare.

"Where is Rose?"

The question came completely from left field and one Pearl was not ready for. She backpedaled a bit, wavered in an attempt to gather her words. Finally, she took a deep inhale and exhaled quietly through her nose.

"She's gone, Jasper. And she won't be coming back." she said. The friendliness in her tone was gone, and now there was a near bitter coldness there. "So whatever revenge you feel you need to get, there's no point."

"Yeah. That's what the pearl fusion told me too." Jasper snapped, with a rude snort to follow.

Pearl sighed, lowering her eyes for a moment.

Jasper was surprised when she noticed her take a seat beside her. Pearl's eyes fell to the scarred patches of green on Jasper's arm. She reached out and Jasper flinched away. Pearl raised her eyebrows a bit.

"I'm not going to hurt you." she said.

Jasper glanced down, hesitated before sighing and relaxing her arm. Pearl touched the scars gently. She seemed as if she was looking for something, but for what, Jasper didn't know.

What a strange pearl she was.

"You know, I was once like you," Pearl told her. She looked distracted now, her eyes filled with sadness. "I thought revenge was just...all there was."

"You're a pearl. Why would you need revenge on anything?"

Pearl uttered a non-committal grunt. She seemed eager to change the subject. "But I learned there was so much more to life. And how I could live on with the promise of knowing that she would want me to. Pink Diamond thought you were special. Perfect in every way. She was right on most accounts."

Jasper raised an eyebrow.

"She would not want this for you." Pearl continued, patting Jasper's hand once; it was like a human mother comforting a child. Jasper had seen it with humans before. "Not for her gems. Not for anyone. She would want more."

Jasper stared down at their joined hand - scarred and pristine white - before Pearl realized that perhaps she had taken a step too far. She removed them and Jasper stared down at her hand once. The patches of sickly, green marring her orange form. The slightly hardened claws from being previously corrupted. It served as a reminder of her failure.

But she couldn't forget.

She wouldn't.

Later that evening, Lion had chosen to take a spot beside Jasper as she slept. Instead of building the hut that she had made at the barn, she just collapsed by the fire place.

Pearl had been meditating in her room when she heard it.

Soft moaning sounds.

Confused, she had feared it was Steven. Something was wrong. Her maternal instincts began to itch away at her.

She quickly departed, but found nothing out of sorts.

She started to go, but the helpless, tormented moaning stopped her. It sounded like a trapped animal, caught in a snare. She had seen it before when Steven was younger and they had walked in the woods together.

It was Jasper.

Pearl didn't recognize the noises from her. She had only heard Jasper cry, but never make these sounds. She walked over to the other gem's side and knelt down, noticing that Jasper's large, thick arm had been draped over her face. Her mouth twisted, little helpless sounds bursting from her.

Pearl reached out, her fingertips touching Jasper's cheek.

"All my fault..." Jasper mumbled, in her sleep. A small, sorrowful sob. "All my fault..."

Pearl stared upward, catching Steven's eye as he watched from above the stairs. He looked worried, glancing from her to Jasper. Pearl gently mouthed "she's okay" to him. He looked entirely too tired to really offer any sort of rebuttal.

Pearl watched him disappear once again and she sighed softly, staring down at the tormented gem, still caught in the throes of a bad dream.

She gently lifted Jasper's arm from her face, surprised to see her face twisted in anguish and soaked in evidence of tears.

"Oh, Jasper..." Pearl sighed.

Suddenly, Jasper's eyes snapped open. Pearl backed away in surprise and Lion gave a soft grunt, awoken by the movements of the larger gem. Both of them watched as Jasper looked around frantically, eyes wild and almost glowing.

"Who!" she gasped. "Where are you? Who!"

She seemed to finally collect herself and sighed, growling. Pearl offered a handkerchief she produced from her gem. Jasper stared down at it briefly before sighing, rolling her eyes.

"I wasn't crying." she snapped.

"Sure." Pearl remarked. "And I wasn't just hearing things."

Jasper glared at her from beneath her bangs. Her eyes looked a little red and heavy. Exhaustion and sadness were prevalent in her stare. She looked almost as feral as she did when she was corrupted.

She wiped her eyes a little bit with the offering before handing it back to Pearl. The gem grimaced a little, but discarded it and looked at Jasper.

"Bad dreams, huh?" she said.

A raise of an eyebrow was her response.

"Sorry. That was probably inappropriate of me to ask such a thing."

"Only a little..." Jasper's lips curled in a sneer.

Another sheepish laugh from Pearl. "Okay, well, you know what I used to do for Steven when he was little?" She didn't wait for an answer for long, "I would read to him. Did you read a lot before the war?"

"Are you asking me if Quartz's can read?" Jasper looked bored already.

Pearl's eyes widened. "No! Oh no, that's not what I meant at all!" she insisted. "I just meant that... well, reading as a hobby isn't always appreciated in this house."

Jasper seemed a little more agreeable with her now. "Yeah. I can see that." she replied. "But I used to read stories a lot. War stories."

"Well, I have a book you might like," Pearl told her, producing one from her gem. "It's one about animal spirits, but it tells a good enough story."

Jasper frowned with vague interest when Pearl offered her the book. The cover was of a tiger smothered in fog and riding on its back was a knight in pure white. What an unusual change to the stories she often read, still, she was curious. Humans did make interesting writing. Even she had to admit that.

"It was one of his favorites," Pearl said. "It's about a Tiger Spirit who wanders the desert in search of a master. See, she lost her first one, so she doesn't know what to do with herself."

Jasper knotted her brow, then she sighed, too tired to argue. "Alright."

When Pearl departed, Jasper leaned back against Lion to read the story.

O

 _Note -_ I understand they've made changes to the corruption of the Diamonds. But since this is an AU, I've elected to ignore that.


	7. Chapter Seven: Hall of Mirrors

~O~

 **Chapter Seven: Hall of Mirrors**

Lapis and Peridot returned to the temple that morning. Lapis seemed reluctant to do so, but it took some assurance from Garnet that it would be fine. And another line of "Steven misses you" certainly seemed convincing enough.

Pearl could see them walking through the snow. Peridot had seemed fond enough to wear a green sweater and scarf. Lapis was wearing a wool hat over her head and blue scarf. They seemed to be chatting happily with one another.

So far so good.

She looked over at Jasper, who was languidly lying on the couch with her nose buried in the book she had been given. It made Pearl smile.

"Hold on..."

Pearl looked over, surprised. "What is it?" she asked, at Jasper's confused and irritable tone.

"Huh? Nothing." Jasper seemed suddenly very abashed now. She picked up the book and offered it to Pearl. "Just... Do you have more?"

Pearl beamed happily and clutched the book tightly to her chest. Finally! Someone who could appreciate literature! Even if it was Jasper. "I most certainly do!"

Jasper murmured thoughtfully. A rare smile touched her lips.

As Pearl wandered to her room, happily humming to herself, Jasper caught sight of Peridot and Lapis out by the beach. Her eyes widened slightly and she made her way outside.

The sight of Jasper approaching caused Peridot and Lapis to immediately freeze in their steps. Peridot couldn't believe the condition of the larger gem. So they had been right after all. Jasper was almost completely healed.

Except for that disgusting green mess on her arm.

Lapis' eyes widened in distress. Seeing Jasper walking toward her. Remembering all the terrible things she had done - and herself just made her act purely on impulse.

An enormous ocean fist slammed into Jasper's midsection, sending her flying into the water with a grunt and a cry. Peridot jumped in surprise.

Lapis' features were twisted with emotion. She raised one hand, clenched it into a fist and the watery limb slammed into Jasper's head, seconds as she tried to climb back out of the water.

The sound was heard by the other gems and Steven. They hurried outside and were startled to see Lapis in the middle of attempting to hold Jasper down in the water.

"Lapis, what are you doing?" Steven cried. "Stop!"

He tried to tug at her arm, but she was a lot like Garnet in that regard. Immobile. She was still as a statue, eyes wide and distant. There was a quiver in her lower lip, a wounded sound that escaped her, unbidden. She looked...afraid.

Jasper managed to surface only for a short time from the assault. She groaned and smiled weakly, disoriented from the powerful blow to her head. "I suppose I deserve it." she said, choking out streams of water. "After what I did."

Another vicious slam of the ocean fist.

"Lapis, that's enough!" Garnet shouted.

Peridot held her head in two hands and danced around frantically.

Lapis seemed caught in a trance as she watched Jasper struggle for several moments. She looked like a trapped animal, writhing desperately on a leash. Finally, she snapped out of her daze when Pearl rushed to the scene.

"Jasper!" she exclaimed.

Lapis released her control over the water, and it dumped onto Pearl and Jasper, completely soaking them in frigid cold. Pearl shivered a little before she took Jasper's arm and helped her stand. Jasper shook her damp locks a bit and jerked her arm from Pearl.

"I don't need your help!" she spat, suddenly back to her usual self.

Steven looked up at Lapis in confusion and hurt. "What did you do that for?" he asked.

"I-I don't-" Lapis struggled to answer, but she didn't know.

Jasper glared at Lapis through her soaked locks as Pearl walked her back to the house. Then, she smirked and looked at the others.

"I told you, didn't I? She's a monster." she hissed, spitting water from her lips.

Lapis wavered and her hands went to her face. Peridot reached out to comfort her. "Hey, don't listen to her, let's just - "

Lapis smacked her hands away and made a small sound. "No, she's right..."

Garnet murmured her discontent. But she had known this might happen when the two had come together after so long. Most of what she had seen led to this. That was how it was and how it would always be destined to end.

She had hoped she had been wrong.

She never was, of course.

O

Pearl dried Jasper's hair with a towel while the larger gem had taken a seat in front of the fireplace. Jasper was sitting with her hands in her lap, legs crossed and head low. She hadn't spoken a word since they returned to the temple. Pearl sighed, fussing over her mane of hair. She plucked a stray piece of algae that had some how gotten entangled in Jasper's hair.

"Honestly, why do we both having conversations if this sort of thing happens?" she mumbled, glancing upwards as if the incident had been more of a minor bother than anything else.

It really hadn't. Truthfully, Pearl had been worried about Jasper before Lapis. She didn't know what compelled her to rush to her aid like that. It had just been instinctive. A natural reaction to save another gem in danger.

But it had been Jasper.

What had urged her to really go and help her?

Meanwhile, Jasper drifted away. Into another darker memory.

 _The sound of glass shattering made Yellow Diamond's pearl jump with a gasp of fright._

 _Yellow had thrown a glass object at Jasper - probably a vase, but Jasper hadn't really noticed - hitting her in the face with it after she had foolishly spoken against her wishes of returning to Earth. The wounds of her sister's loss had been left raw. Open and stinging._

 _"YOU were at fault for her shattering! So now YOU will be the one to fix it!" Yellow bellowed loudly enough to rattle the windows of her halls. Her eyes were wide and frightening, nothing like the calm, military leader she was. "And you DARE question my orders?"_

 _Jasper stared down at the hand she had used to cover her face. She was leaking bright orange fluid from the assault. She hadn't expected it. It was so sudden. Needless to say, Yellow too seemed abashed by her own outburst._

 _She stared down at her enclosed fist, her eyes slowly widening. Her own outburst had obviously shaken even herself. But she immediately cleared her throat, calming herself and speaking evenly. She ran a hand through her hair once, clearing her throat._

 _"You will go to Earth. There will be no further debate on the subject."_

 _"Yes, Yellow Diamond..." Jasper said, head still lowered._

 _"Clean yourself up. And don't look at me like that. You're a soldier, not a dewy-eyed courtesan." Yellow Diamond scolded. "What did you expect? You always get what you've deserved. Look at you! I cannot believe they had once called you 'perfect'!"_

 _Jasper lowered her eyes. Her voice found the strength in it that she needed._

 _"Forgive me, Yellow Diamond. I will never disobey you again."_

 _"Good." Yellow waved her hand. She smiled, but it was not friendly. "I expect such from a loyal soldier. Now, off with you."_

Jasper glanced up now at the pearl who dried her. A very unecessary task given she could will the dampness away with her gem, but she really had no argument to it. Her lips were pursed as she focused on an offending spot on Jasper's cheek.

"Lapis has every right to her feelings, but we agreed that this was for Steven. Honestly..." Pearl was muttering.

She pulled the towel away, catching Jasper's stare.

A blue flush touched Pearl's cheeks. She hadn't expected the glassy-eyed stare from the larger gem soldier. Jasper hadn't realized she had been staring either. It was entirely too intimate for either one of them. Pearl cleared her throat awkwardly.

"Well, I should go outside and restore order." she said. "Could you stay here, please?"

Jasper sighed. "I suppose."

Pearl smiled a little, but it was an odd one. It made Jasper furrow her brow as she watched the smaller gem depart. What was that all about?

She took a few moments, sitting there in boredom before she stood up and wandered to the window. The other gems were outside talking together. Lapis seemed to be arguing with them and stamping her foot. Jasper raised an eyebrow.

"...no, no, YOU decided! I never decided anything!" Lapis hissed, furiously.

"Lapis, we understand that what Jasper did was monstrous. But - " Garnet began.

"But NOTHING!" Lapis shouted, her voice high with rage and disbelief. "She isn't like us! Jasper's can't change and you know that by now! They're set in their ways and they won't ever forgive anything!"

Steven looked at her sadly. "Lapis, she's done so well..."

"And what's stopping her from doing what she did all over again?"

"Just give her a chance!"

"GIVE HER A CHANCE?" Lapis couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Look at her, Steven! She will NEVER BE ONE OF US!"

Those words carried multitudes of severity that felt worse than the biting cold outside. Steven looked shocked by her words. Then, he sensed Jasper watching from the window and looked up. His eyes widened and he watched as she lowered her head and disappeared.

Oh no.

Steven found Jasper lying near the fireplace once he walked into the house; she was watching the flames and said nothing. She didn't seem bothered by the words she had heard from Lapis. Just...more serene than Steven was used to seeing from her. Lion had chosen to take a spot behind Jasper, offering the slightest comfort.

"Jasper, I'm sorry you had to hear that." Steven said. "I know this is going to take some time."

A non-comittal grunt and shrug was his only answer.

"You didn't deserve that." Steven said, taking a spot beside her.

No response. Jasper constantly stared at the flames.

O

Steven was piling up another "Together Breakfast" that following morning. Garnet and Amethyst watched as he did. Amethyst had already seen him do it, so it wasn't really a surprise.

Outside, Pearl was trying to clean out the rooftops of excess snow. She grunted, struggling to reach with a broom. Jasper was nearby and saw her condition.

Pearl gave a yelp as she felt herself bodily lifted high enough for her to reach. She looked down in surprise and flushed blue when she saw Jasper holding her up.

"What?" Jasper said, shrugging. "You're too small."

Pearl clutched the broom hard enough that it nearly snapped. She clenched her teeth, staring up to the heavens with a grimace.

"I am NOT TOO SMALL!" she snapped.

Just then, Garnet approached them. "Jasper. Pearl." she said.

Jasper was so startled, she dropped Pearl and the smaller gem yelped as she fell in a shoveled pile of snow. It left only her long, stalk legs and arms sticking out. She uttered a groan of embarrassment and stuck her head out, still covered in snow.

"Jasper!" she growled.

Jasper actually chuckled a little at her condition.

Garnet did not share in their amusement. "I've located a corrupted gem. It's dwelling in the mountains and rumor from the human population nearby is that it terrorizes travelers."

Pearl managed to her feet. She looked down and noticed the broom had been snapped in half. Giving a sound of annoyance, she discarded the remnants aside.

"Alright. Let's go." Pearl replied.

"I'll go too." Jasper said.

Garnet nodded and walked into the temple with the other two following her. Well, Jasper's strength would serve as a benefit. From her understanding, the gem they were going to face was a powerful one. Though somehow shadowed in a sense in the back of her mind. Sometimes, that was how she saw it. There were few corrupted gems who were powerful enough to stay hidden from her.

Pearl smiled a little. "Well, Jasper has helped before. Maybe she could be useful in another mission."

Garnet was silent for a moment, contemplating this. "Very well." she finally replied. "We could all use a little extra muscle."

She produced her gauntlet on her left hand and punched Jasper's shoulder. It was almost a playful gesture from her, one that warranted a grunt from the larger gem. Jasper looked almost offended, but she caught the smile on Garnet's lips and rolled her eyes.

These Rebels were so strange.

"Steven!" Garnet called. "Mission time."

Steven smiled brightly and jumped up. "Great! Is Jasper coming?"

"Yes, she is."

Jasper met Lapis' stare and the gem held her ground, glaring back at her. "Then I'm going too."

Garnet and Pearl looked at each other. This would certainly prove to be a problem if Jasper and Lapis decided to fight one another. Jasper would no doubt want a little payback after what had happened at the beach.

"I don't know, Lapis. You should stay with Peridot."

"No. I'm going with you." Lapis said, giving Jasper another look. "In case she tries anything."

Jasper gave a bark of amusement. "Really? Shouldn't they be watching for YOU then?"

"Alright, enough." Garnet ordered, standing between them. She looked toward Amethyst and Peridot. "Peridot, hold down the fort until we get back."

Peridot gave her a salute. "Right. I can handle things from here!"

"Don't microwave anything that isn't food." Garnet warned.

Peridot groaned with boredom and hung her shoulders in a rather dramatic display. "Fine." She snorted now, walking away. "I microwave ONE circular music disk and she never lets me hear the end of it..."

Garnet looked at the others. "Alright. Let's go."

They stepped onto the warp pad and Jasper glanced down at it with interest. "So this is where the magic happens..." she remarked.

And with the sound of the warp activating, they were gone.

O

The warp pad sent them deep into a dead forest.

Pearl looked around with surprise. She ran her fingers over a dry, bone-white branch that crumbled at her touch. This reminded her of the Injectors in the Kindergartens. How they would drain the life out of the earth around them. This was typically a common result.

But something about this felt...different.

"We're close." Garnet told them. "Let's keep moving."

Jasper snorted wryly. "How does she know?"

Steven walked alongside her. "Garnet has Future Vision." he explained.

"Future...Vision?" Jasper doubted that very much.

Amethyst laughed and nodded. "Yeah, she pretty much knows everything."

Then again, she knew that the fusion was made up of a Sapphire. She knew that the gems of Blue Diamond's court did indeed have such abilities, albeit flawed as they were. She frowned curiously, but didn't think about it any further.

They spotted peculiar architecture not too far from them and once they reached it, it was clearly of gem origin. The murals bore intricate designs of First Era Gem history. The columns were eroded from time and lack of care. Vines had ensnared most of the structure as well as several statues of a gem.

Pearl pulled some vines away and her eyes widened.

"White Diamond..." she whispered.

The words caught up with the others, who turned to her. They saw the likeness of White Diamond in the statues. Steven hadn't heard anything of the other Diamond mentioned from anyone. This was the first time he'd even heard her by name.

"Wait, White Diamond?" he queried, looking at each face expectantly.

The rest of them seemed uncomfortable and unwilling to speak about her. It took a moment before Pearl focused her attention to the building nearby.

"I wasn't aware that she had temples here." Pearl said, concern in her voice.

Jasper scoffed, shaking her head. "Don't you Rebels know anything?" she said, in a bit of a sneer. "White Diamond placed research halls everywhere on this miserable planet. She likes to study things. Obviously."

"But this was Pink Diamond's colony. Why would she have allowed it?" Pearl was curious.

"We don't QUESTION the Diamond Authority." Jasper reminded them, her gaze darkening. "They do things and we follow along. THAT is the whole point."

She looked up at a set of double doors, depicting a mural of gems holding mirrors.

"This is probably a training facility, from the looks of it." she continued. "If we go inside, I won't be surprised if we find traps. White Diamond used them a lot in the pre-war days."

Garnet produced her gauntlets in a flash. "Alright, we'll head inside and deal with whatever comes our way." she said. "Stay close together and let's find the corrupted gem."

The group approached the doors and Jasper pried them open with two hands and a grunt of effort. The doors groaned open, spewing a stream of dust and stale air. Steven coughed a little, waving a hand in his face when a cloud of dust shot right at him.

"I got a bad feeling about this." he said, troubled.

Pearl produced her spear from her gem. "Well, we're not stopping the corrupted gem standing out here." she told them. "Let's go."

They made their way inside, gems glowing to accomodate them for the lack of light. The doors roared shut and a mural behind them depicted a very unsettling image of gems kneeling before rows of mirrors, seemingly in the thrall of pain. Replicas of them had emerged from the mirrors, vicious and frightening.

In the shadows of the structure, a single white eye opened.

O

Lapis was focused intently on Jasper, watching her every move.

But Jasper seemed less interested in anything other than the great span of a hallway they were walking through. It made no sense to her that she was here now, being treated like one of them. None of this made any sense.

She noticed too that Pearl was talking to Jasper more, and they seemed to be discussing things regarding gem life on Homeworld. Jasper answered some of her questions, though with much complaint and grimaces on her face.

"I don't like how quiet it is..." Jasper growled, so suddenly.

"I know." Pearl agreed. "Shouldn't we have run into something by now?"

Amethyst scoffed and thrust her arms into the air. "Why are the both of you so eager to get our butts handed to us?"

Garnet sighed. "We'll be just fine so long as we don't split up."

And as if right on cue, large spiked metal plates shot up from below them; blocking both their way out, demolishing several walls around and nearly catching Pearl's backside. And even worse, the walls had separated them completely.

Lapis and Pearl were trapped together, Garnet was alone and Amethyst, Steven and Jasper were together in separate fractions of wall. Jasper attempted to punch through the walls, but the metal seemed to hold strong. She cursed with frustration.

"Well, this is going to be a problem." Garnet said.

Jasper piped up from the other side of the wall. "I'm sorry, what was that?" she growled, "Did you say 'We'll be just fine if we don't split up'?"

Pearl sighed, staring upwards. "Okay, this is what we should have been seeing." she told them all. "Someone was expecting us. This isn't an ordinary corrupted gem. If any one sees anything, you know what to do."

A few affirmatives from the others. Lapis frowned at her. "Are you sure this is going to work?"

"No." Pearl told her. "But we need to stay - "

"If you say 'stay together' I swear by every star in the universe..." Jasper began, furious.

Amethyst seemed concerned. She glanced at Steven, attempting to offer comfort with a smile. Then, she called out to the others.

"Alright, we got it!"

"Good. Amethyst, keep Steven safe." Garnet called to her.

Steven didn't seem so certain about this. He felt an odd chill in the air and it wasn't from the cold outside or the dry, frozen air in this gem structure. It was something else. Something that felt off that made him on edge. Jasper must have sensed it too because she was unusually guarded. Her eyes were narrow, the glow of her gem casting unsettling shadows over her face.

"Alright, let's move." Garnet ordered.

And with that, they departed.

Somewhere in the darkness of the gem temple, a shadow darted within several rows of ancient mirrors. A pair of white eyes opened. A show of silver, dangerous teeth.

A grin.

O

"Okay, I spy with my little eye..."

Amethyst had been playing a game of "I Spy" while she walked alongside Jasper. The larger Quartz was growing increasingly annoyed by the game with each passing second.

"Wall and rock." she hissed.

Amethyst smiled. "You got it again!"

Jasper rolled her eyes. "Just keep quiet!" she ordered. "How have any of you managed to survive this long when you spend time playing stupid games?"

Steven smiled sheepishly and shrugged his shoulders. "Sometimes it helps to make people feel...less afraid about what's going on around them."

"Fear drives you in battle. It keeps you fighting. Why would you NOT want to feel fear?" Jasper found the logic pointless.

Steven didn't have an answer.

Jasper stopped now, coming in front of a massive plate of tarnished grey steel. She scowled impatiently and cracked her fingers.

"Alright. Let's break this wall down!" she said.

Amethyst grinned, thrusting her fists into the air. "Oh, yeah!"

Both of them transformed into spinning orbs of light and charged directly into the wall. Steven winced at the terrible sound that followed. The striking of metal on metal that actually sounded more like it hurt than anything else. He was proven right when Jasper and Amethyst returned to their normal shapes, holding their heads in both hands, groaning loudly.

"OW!" Amethyst yelled, grimacing. "That...really hurt!" She glared at the offending wall and even gave it a kick. "What is that stupid wall made of?"

Jasper winced, rubbing her forehead. "I don't know!"

Steven made a face. "Well, we're not going through that way, I guess."

"Maybe we should head back and try another way?" Amethyst suggested.

Jasper growled and looked around. Someone was here. Someone was toying with them and it made her angry. She punched the wall several times with her fists.

"STUPID. STUPID." she snarled. "I'm not going to fall for - "

Beneath her, a trapdoor opened and she was sent plunging into the darkness below with a shout. Amethyst and Steven quickly rushed toward the opening in the floor.

"Jasper!" they cried.

They found Jasper below, unharmed but up to her waist in slurry. She grimaced and shook some from her arms before scowling.

"Whoa, it smells really bad!" Amethyst said, cringing and holding her nose with one hand.

Steven did the same, recoiling.

"It smells horrible. This is horrible!" Jasper growled.

"Wait!" Steven said, peering into the hole. "You can smell?"

"I can... _What does that have to do with anything_?" Jasper bellowed, indignant to the question. "I am in a hole filled with recycled sludge and you..."

Steven raised two hands. "Okay, okay!" he said, "Just stay calm. We'll get you out."

Amethyst produced her whip and tossed it down at Jasper. The larger gem jumped and swiped to reach it, but it was just barely within reach of her fingers. She cursed furiously and Amethyst smiled.

"Wait! I have an idea!" she said.

She produced a second whip, tied the end to the first and lowered them down to Jasper. The gem smiled with satisfaction and grabbed the whip. Steven and Amethyst took turns trying to pull her up, groaning with effort.

But where the two whips had been wrapped together unraveled and Jasper was sent falling back into the slush with a yell and a loud splash. Steven and Amethyst winced at the sound before looking back down at her.

"Hold on, sis!" Amethyst called down. "Maybe I can stretch down to you!"

"Oh, don't bother, runt!" Jasper spat, out a stream of slurry with a few coughs and angry grunts. "I'll find my way out myself!"

Steven sighed, shaking his head. "What can you see down there?"

Jasper stood up and the two watched as she looked around. She made a thoughtful sound and shrugged her shoulders.

"This looks like a draining tunnel of some kind," she replied, evenly now. "It should lead somewhere. I'll keep walking until I find something."

"Okay, just be careful!" Steven called down to her.

"Yeah. Right..."

Steven made a worried sound. Jasper going on alone without them bothered him a bit. Not because she couldn't handle herself. She was a gem warrior with thousands of years of training under her belt. But he was worried about what this place could hold. What it could do to affect all of them if Garnet had suggested they stay close.

"Do you think she's going to be okay?" Steven asked, looking at Amethyst.

The other gem sighed. "I don't know. But we should keep moving."

Steven nodded.

O

Pearl and Lapis wandered through a dark corridor, passing rows upon rows of mirrors. Their reflections danced wildly around them. It made Lapis remember the days of how she had been trapped in the hand mirror. How she had been forced into servitude...

No, that was the past. She was free now. There was no reason to dwell.

"Pearl, why are you helping Jasper?" she suddenly asked.

Pearl sighed impatiently, her eyes wandering around the corridor for signs of danger. "Lapis, should we really be doing this right now?"

"I just need to know." Lapis argued. "After all that she's done, why are we trying to save her?"

Pearl stopped walking and Lapis nearly collided with her.

"Lapis..." Pearl began, quietly now. "I know how you must be feeling. And I know this is hard for you. But you have to understand something. This is Steven's wish. He wants to help fix what Rose had done. And he believes this may help Jasper in the same way it helped you and Peridot. So regardless of how we may feel, we need to be supportive."

Lapis had no argument there.

The mirror beside her reflected her image, but it turned and watched her go in a way that should not have been possible.

 _"Lapis..."_

The gem froze, turned and looked over her shoulder. "What was that?" she asked.

Pearl turned as well, looking around the room they were standing in. All she saw were her reflections off of the mirrors. Nothing else.

"I don't know." she said. "Stay ready."

Suddenly, a wall shot up between them, separating the two gems. It was a thick, metal plate with a mirror on two ends. Lapis gave a cry of surprise and Pearl barely shouted her name before she faced the reflection of herself with concern.

"Lapis, I think I know where we are now!" she cried.

"What?" Lapis shouted back. "Where are we? Pearl!"

Her reflection in the mirror rippled, like someone sticking their finger into a pool of water. Lapis watched the sight with confusion and unease before backing away. The reflection took on her image, but something was wrong. The eyes looked...darker. More malevolent.

 _"I have seen your heart, Lapis Lazuli. Because it is mine."_ The reflection spoke, whispering the words with a near seductive, feminine drawl. It was in her voice, but carried with it a secondary pitch, like the hissing of snakes.

"W-What is this?" Lapis cried, frightened.

She backed away, into another mirror and the same reflection stared back.

 _"You enjoyed it, didn't you?"_ the Mirror Lapis said, _"You won't dare admit it, lest you seem the monster. But you loved how powerful it made you feel."_

Lapis' hands shot up to her ears. "Stop it! Shut up!"

Pearl frantically tried to reach her by shooting beams of light into the mirror in front of her. But to her shock and horror, the cracks that formed from her blasts closed up and sealed, returning to the pristine mirror's form.

A single white eye stared back at her.

Pearl gave a shout and jumped back, just in time to see her reflection appear in the mirror, the same as Lapis'. She shook her head slowly, mumbling.

"No, no, don't..."

The Mirror Pearl simply smiled.

 _"I'm so cold, so alone without her. I want to be shattered, but I'm so afraid..."_

"You're not real!" Pearl shouted, firing another shot at the mirror.

It shattered it into splinters, but it simply pulled itself back together once more.

 _"I was where I should have been. Every day, I was doing what I was made to do. Until SHE made me doubt myself..."_

"SHUT UP!" Pearl shrieked.

Lapis was circled by many Mirror Lapis', and they all stared cruelly at her, judgement in their eyes.

 _"Why did you join them? Did you think they would forgive you for what you did_?" a Mirror Lapis sneered. _"Hide away and it all disappears?"_

Lapis was starting to cry. "No! Please stop!"

 _"You can hide the truth from them, but not from me."_ a Mirror Lapis chuckled. _"I know you greatest dreams...and your fears."_

A cruel laugh in multitudes reverberated through the air.

Below, Jasper had wandered through a tunnel system filled with rows of mirrors. The reflections she cast on them didn't vanish as she passed. They watched her go, eyes narrowing menacingly.

The sound of Pearl and Lapis' cries reached Garnet, who frantically tried to make her way toward them. But a mirror shot up from the ground, stopping her. She paused, her eyes widening as a reflection of Sapphire appeared in it.

 _"Why did you choose her if you knew who she was?"_ the Mirror Sapphire asked, her voice blunt and cold in comparison to who she truly was. _"A simple ruby. Nothing special. You could have had anyone else. Anyone better."_

Garnet's gauntlet fist drove through the mirror, shattering it to pieces. She scowled furiously, panting in an effort to calm herself.

"It's a lie, remember that. I love you and I always will." Sapphire spoke more through the fusion than Ruby, sensing the stress in their union.

"I know. I know." Ruby spoke now, panting with effort.

The mirror regenerated itself as it had with Pearl. The reflection showed only a brief shadow with white eyes and silver teeth. It darted away with a furious screech.

"This isn't an ordinary corruption." Garnet murmured to herself.

Elsewhere, Jasper was punching the stone wall several times. She gave a final shout and drove her fist through it, destroying the wall and sending her stumbling into another room. A gush of slurry poured out with her. She took a few moments to clear her throat and look around.

This room resembled a training hall. The ceiling was high, there were tables pushed in corners and weapons that lined the walls.

What was more peculiar to her were the rows of mirrors on the ceiling, the walls and even the floors. One looked like it had been smashed by a fist. Jasper picked one up and frowned at a long crack that had been made down the middle. She stared into it for a few moments before a white, wide eye stared back.

Jasper gave a yell and tossed the mirror to the floor.

"Jasper!"

The gem looked up when she saw Steven and Amethyst rush into the room.

"Are you okay?" Steven asked.

"I'm fine." Jasper growled, annoyed by their constant concern. She looked around the room at the various mirrors. "But we have company."

All around them, every mirror reflected a single white, angry eye. Amethyst and Steven stared back in horror and watched as the mirrors reflected like water. Finally, images of themselves were revealed. Colder, darker images.

Mirror Amethyst chuckled with a sneer. _"Jasper isn't the only one with a dark side, it seems."_

Amethyst recoiled with a frightened sound.

Steven looked at his mirror self. This one looked...sad. Broken and lonely. The eyes of Mirror Steven were sunken, weak and sickly.

 _"They're all gone..."_ he mumbled. _"And it's all my fault..."_

Jasper looked at herself in the mirror and the reflection chuckled. _"You know who I am, don't you? Who am I, Jasper?"_

Jasper snarled. "A pitiful, cheap trick!"

 _"I know your heart, Jasper. I see it."_ Mirror Jasper said, her voice unnaturally soft. _"Who would love a gem like you? When they see what lurks beneath your heart? Least loved by all for what you truly are."_

Jasper drove her fist through the mirror with a shout of rage. "Shut up!"

The glass shards fell, but rebuilt themselves as they had before. The Mirror Jasper chuckled, amused by her efforts before it took the form of Pink Diamond.

Jasper withered at the sight.

Steven struggled to smash the mirror before he looked over and saw the illusion. His eyes widened in horror and he noticed that Jasper was frozen still.

"Jasper!" he cried. "Don't listen to it!"

The Mirror Pink Diamond's face was wrong. Everything about it was wrong. She curled her lips with a sneer, her eyes darkening.

 _"I was better without you, you know."_ she said. _"Happier."_

Jasper shook her head slowly, eyes filled with pain.

Amethyst struggled to hold back an emerging shadow from her mirror. It looked...decayed and lifeless. Screeching hatefully. She wrapped her whip around it and tightened the hold, shattering it into gray dust. More emerged, glaring at her with loathing.

Everything in the room disappeared but Pink Diamond. The false, blasphemous image of her. Jasper was frozen, unable to move as it sauntered toward her.

 _"Who would want you, Jasper? What are you compared to other gems? Nothing but a broken, flawed, woeful wretch. How could anyone love you?"_

Jasper snarled, shutting her ears with two hands. "She wouldn't say that...!" she spat. "She wouldn't say that!"

Steven noticed Jasper's condition. He shattered another mirror with his shield and made an attempt to reach her. "Jasper!" he cried. "Jasper, it's lying!"

Mirror Pink Diamond smiled cruelly. _"Who would take you? Who would fuse with you? You. Are. Nothing."_

Jasper snarled, clutching her head. "SHUT UP."

Meanwhile, Lapis was frozen in front of her mirror, watching Mirror Lapis.

 _"You can pretend all you'd like, but it really rattles you, doesn't it?"_ Mirror Lapis said, smiling. _"Pretend to be the sweet, innocent Lapis; but you cannot lie to me. You enjoyed hurting her, didn't you?"_

Lapis held her head. "N-No, I didn't!"

 _"You can lie to them, but you can't LIE TO ME. The position of power at last. What you've always wanted. After all, you've been a slave for a long time. What better way to practice than having her at your feet. Chained. Beaten like a dog."_

"I don't... I didn't like that!" Lapis began to cry through her fingers.

 _"You can't lie to me, Lapis. I see your darkness as I always have."_

A blast from Pearl's spear shattered the mirror. Lapis snapped out of her daze as Pearl reached down to pick her up by her arm.

"Lapis, we need to go, now!" she shouted. "We have to find the others!"

"Pearl...I'm so sorry..." Lapis mumbled, disoriented by her own grief. "Please... I'm sorry."

"No time for that now!" Pearl told her. "You can be miserable back at the temple! Let's go!"

Lapis nodded her head.

The two gems hurried down the corridors, listening to the Mirror Versions of themselves constantly talking, mocking them.

 _"Run, Lost Pearl. Where will you go?"_ Mirror Pearl said.

Mirror Lapis sneered with amusement. _"Will you go back to her? So you can pull her apart again? That is what you enjoy, isn't it? That is why you miss her."_

Pearl winced and looked down at Lapis. "Don't listen to it, Lapis!"

 _"Listening to a pearl?"_ Mirror Pearl laughed sardonically. _"A Pearl who doesn't even know who she is or what she wants?"_

Pearl scowled, trying not to listen to the voices around her.

"We'll find you!" she promised.

Rose's reflection appeared in the mirrors now, freezing Pearl in mid-run.

 _"Why did you come to that place if you knew I was gone, Pearl?"_ Mirror Rose asked, her voice filled with sadness. Emptiness. Nothing like the real Rose. _"It was as if you knew it would happen."_

Tears prickled Pearl's eyes. "N-No, I didn't!"

 _"I think you did. A part of you knew that I would choose him over you. That was why you ran away. Why did you run away from me? I thought you loved me."_

"You're not Rose. I won't fall for this!"

 _"Then who am I, Pearl? I hope you're prepared for the answer in the end."_

O

Jasper had fallen to her knees.

Mirror Pink Diamond regarded her with that alien, cold stare. _"I'm disappointed in you, Jasper. You disobeyed me. You failed. Instead, you came back to my palanquin, where I had fallen. Why did you? I had been shattered. Did you think I'd forgive you for your failure?"_

Jasper withered under the crippling words from the false image. She couldn't hear Steven and Amethyst's cries to ignore what was being said. They bore such a weight on her that she couldn't move. She couldn't do anything. Her eyes prickled with evidence of tears.

"I-I tried..." she mumbled.

 _"I'm sorry, what was that?"_ Mirror Pink Diamond sneered. _"You tried? And look where your efforts have wrought. You are nothing but a failure. A broken, mindless beast gorging herself on battle and self-misery."_

Despite it being a false image, the words spoken in the voice of her beloved Diamond felt like a knife being twisted in Jasper's being. Steven rushed to her side and wrapped his arms around her arm.

"Jasper, listen to me! It's NOT REAL!" he cried. "Please, snap out of it."

Jasper wasn't listening, even when he tugged on her arm in an effort to move her. She had tears streaming down her cheeks, but her face was contorting in rage.

 _"You will be shattered and the universe will do well by it."_ Mirror Pink Diamond sneered.

"Enough..." Jasper snarled.

Mirror Pink Diamond smirked at her, not phased by the chilling whisper coming from Jasper's lips. Instead, she moved through the mirror constantly, pacing around her victim like a cruel lioness.

 _"You are like a great, stupid beast who cannot stop feeding."_ she sneered. _"Even after your master has told you no more."_

"ENOUGH!" Jasper roared.

She charged at the mirror, shattering it to bits, but instead of tackling the Mirror Pink Diamond, she came in contact with a twisted, silver and white aberration with four arms, silver sharp fangs and white eyes. It screeched and hissed at her, snapping its teeth. Long white hair danced around its face in ribbons.

Jasper snarled with effort, grabbing the corruption and shoving it violently through the floor as she had with Garnet on her ship. Steven and Amethyst quickly hurried to catch up with her.

"Jasper!" Amethyst cried. "Steven, we have to catch her!"

Jasper tore through the floor, passing Garnet, Pearl and Lapis just as they were making their way through the corridors. They looked shocked and also made their way down to her, scaling down lengths of debris and fallen mirrors.

 _"Who am I? Who am I?"_

Broken, shadowed images from the mirror repeated the same message over and over, as if disoriented. Steven watched them, listened to the messages with confusion. What was it trying to say and why did it repeat the question over and over?

Jasper crashed through the floor and into a pool of slurry. She had trapped the corrupted gem beneath her and began beating it with her fists.

"SHUT UP!" she screamed, "SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!"

Pearl and the others finally made it into the pool and could only watch in muted shock as Jasper continued beating the corruption over and over.

And over.

And over.

The sickening, wet smacks of fists contacting flesh echoed through the silence of the room. The corruption's screeched of agony had long since been silenced.

"SHUT UP!" Jasper continued to scream, but her voice was changing, becoming more high with pain and she was sobbing now through the rage-filled cries.

Lapis looked away with a grimace of pain and Pearl covered her mouth with two hands.

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!"

Garnet and Pearl quickly made their way over to her, pulling her from the corrupted gem - while she was still screaming "shut up" - who immediately disappeared in a poof of smoke. Steven bubbled the gem immediately and looked over at Pearl, who was holding Jasper's head in her arms, attempting to comfort her.

"Shhh," Pearl soothed. "Shh. It's okay, Jasper. It's alright."

Garnet walked up to Steven and took the bubbled gem. She held it up to her face, studying the rough white corners of the square-shaped gem housed within.

"Petalite. Of course." she said.

Steven watched as Pearl gently swayed back and forth, soothing Jasper with gentle petting to her head as if she was comforting a child. Lapis had been watching the sight strangely too. But she said nothing.

Jasper's screaming had stopped. She was not arguing to Pearl's comfort and her sounds died down into weak hiccups and sniffs.

"Petalite was a gem serving under White Diamond." Garnet said. "They trained warriors and other gems to push free their negative energies and fears. White Diamond believed that emotions were a weakness among gems, so she strove to have them evolve passed them."

"So what happened to her?" Steven asked, still watching Jasper.

"The same thing that happened to all corrupted gems, Steven." Garnet continued. "Petalite possibly observed so much evil. So much pain and despair that she was consumed by it. Began to use it as a weapon to hurt others. She became the very opposite of what she was made for. She became so consumed by the reflections of others, she could no longer see who she truly was."

Steven stared down at the bubbled gem sadly.

O

That evening, Jasper was sitting alone near the window, just watching the moon outside. Pearl walked up to her and sat down. She opened her mouth to speak, but Jasper spoke first.

"I don't want to talk right now." she hissed, her words grating out of her.

"Mm," Pearl murmured softly in response. "That's alright. No one blames you for what happened. We all understand."

Jasper glanced at her briefly, her look unreadable.

Suddenly, she punched the wall with one fist, scowling angrily. The abrupt action jolted Pearl where she sat and she watched Jasper stand.

"What is WRONG WITH ME?" Jasper suddenly shouted.

She began to pace back and forth now.

"I'm supposed to be the strong one! I'm supposed to be a great warrior and I let some useless Petalite use everything against me!"

"Jasper, Steven is asleep." Pearl tried to speak up, but Jasper continued to pace and rant.

"And on top of that, I'm here with my ENEMIES!" Jasper thrust her arms in the air, "WHAT AM I DOING?"

Pearl sighed, standing. She gently took Jasper's hand and the action made Jasper tense with surprise. She glanced down briefly at their connected hands, seemingly trying to understand the contact.

"It's a strange thing, Jasper." Pearl agreed. "I remember when liberation was frightening for me too. But this is a sign of personal growth. A sign that you're not entirely lost."

Jasper didn't answer. She didn't know how to.

"Jasper, it's not about what everyone else wants from you." Pearl told her. "Not Steven, not me. None of us. It's about yourself. It's about what you want. And what do you want?"

Jasper opened her mouth to answer, but her response fell short.

She didn't know what she wanted.

No one had asked her. No one had spent time with her as Pearl, Amethyst or Steven had. Jasper had no idea what it was that she wanted.

She simply stared down at their joined hands, stared at the strange pearl. The one who had clearly proven herself to be more than just a slave.

"I don't know." she finally said.

Pearl smiled warmly. "That's okay. You have time."

Jasper raised an eyebrow at that.

No more words were exchanged between them. They simply looked out at the moon together in silence.


	8. Chapter Eight: Mellow

~O~

 **Chapter Eight: Mellow**

The snow had started melting.

Garnet wandered out of the temple that morning. She took a deep inhale and smiled at the rising sun. It was casting a beautiful glow upon the snow-covered Beach City. It was a lovely sight.

She heard voices and looked toward Pearl and Jasper, who were walking along the beach together. They seemed to be talking about something particularly interesting as Pearl was laughing and making her typical, grandiose gestures. Jasper seemed to smile a little and make gestures of her own, mimicking a monster.

Garnet frowned and approached them. Pearl had stopped laughing long enough to smile brightly at her.

"Ah! Garnet! Jasper and I were just sharing war stories." Pearl said. "She told me about the beasts she had fought on other planets and the trophies she's earned."

Garnet turned her head slightly in Jasper's direction, lips pursing only for a fraction.

"Pearl, I'd like to speak with you in private, please." she said.

Pearl nodded. "Oh, um, of course." she replied, sensing the seriousness in her tone.

"Jasper, perhaps you'd like to indulge in Steven's Together Breakfast." Garnet suggested, her serious tone still prevalent.

Jasper looked confused. "His what?"

"It's food." Garnet explained. "Trust me, it's delicious. There's popcorn on it."

Intrigued, Jasper decided to wander back to the temple without another word. Pearl and Garnet watched her go and Garnet waited until the door was shut before she focused her attention on Pearl. The smaller gem smiled, but her amusement disappeared when she sensed something wrong.

"Garnet, what is it?" she asked.

"I'm noticing you're spending a lot of time with Jasper lately." Garnet said.

Pearl frowned a little. "Isn't that what Steven wanted us to do?"

"Yes. But I'm beginning to wonder what your intentions are."

Pearl scoffed. Her face flushed a very light blue for a few moments, and she looked quite embarrassed by the accusation. Or what she considered was an accusation. "Intentions? I don't know what you mean. We're just talking."

"Pearl, listen, I know how you can be." Garnet said, gently. She raised a single hand, as if possibly warding off an argument she knew was to come. "It's easy to become enchanted by a powerful gem. Don't look at me that way, it's the truth. I just...don't want you to be hurt. You, or Jasper."

"WE WERE JUST TALKING!" Pearl cried, her voice higher now with embarrassment.

"Pearl, listen - "

"TALKING!" Pearl yelled, walking away in a rather flustered fashion.

Garnet sighed, watching her go.

It wasn't as if she hadn't noticed this earlier, but she considered that it was just Pearl's way. She had always been a bit clingy in some situations. Garnet had forgiven her for many of her problems in this case. But with Jasper, it just seemed dangerous.

She would have to watch them closely.

Once inside, Pearl noticed Jasper, Peridot and Amethyst staring intently at Steven as he prepared his famous "Together Breakfast". Jasper had tried to eat some of the popcorn on the waffles, but Steven shook his head at her.

"No, Jasper. Not yet." he said.

"Why not?" Jasper asked, annoyed.

"Because it's not ready yet!" Steven told her, taking a container full of strawberries from the fridge. "It's all about presentation!"

Jasper made a face and rolled her eyes. "Pfft, presentation..."

Once Steven placed a strawberry on top, Jasper took the container and dumped them all onto it. Steven's eyes widened and Pearl frowned at the impulsive, impatience of the larger gem. She was about to scold her for it, but Steven looked surprised and happy.

"I like it!" he said. "It's Together Breakfast 2.0!"

Peridot laughed at that. "Together Breakfast 2.0?"

"Yeah!" Steven told her. He seemed so happy with this new name. "Since Jasper's with us now, I thought it could be a new breakfast for all of us!"

"Can we just eat it now?" Jasper sounded bored and impatient.

Steven laughed. "Alright, let's eat."

They started to eat the food in front of them. Greg stepped through the door and smiled brightly. "Hey, Steven, I thought you'd like to - "

He froze and his eyes widened in horror at the sight of Jasper sitting at the table, mouth covered in remnants of the food on her plate. She frowned at the odd look she was getting and stood up, scowling.

"What are you staring at?" she snapped.

Greg passed out on the floor.

O

"Is he okay?"

"Amethyst, don't touch."

Peridot gave a wry snort. "He dropped like a rock."

"Peridot, don't be mean."

Greg groaned, opening his eyes at the sight of various gems staring down at him. He didn't see Jasper, so maybe he was just imagining her. Peridot seemed to be testing his pulse. She murmured thoughtfully before smiling.

"Your vitals seem to have returned to acceptable parameters," she said. "Though I think you may want to slow down on pizza. If you wish to continue extending your already limited human life span."

Amethyst laughed playfully. "Nerd."

Greg sat up, giving a weak laugh. "That's funny. For a second I thought I saw Jasper sitting at the kitchen counter."

"She is. She's still there." Peridot told him, pointing over at the counter.

Jasper was finishing up the Together Breakfast and glanced over at them. She noticed the multitudes of stares and scowled.

"What?" she asked.

"Dad, come on," Steven said, ushering Greg outside. "Let's talk about it outside."

Once they were out of earshot, Steven explained everything to Greg. About what had happened, why Jasper was no longer a corruption like the rest and why she was with them. For a while, Greg had listened to everything he had said, but he was troubled by Steven's choice.

"Well, I can't say I'm not worried," he said, "Isn't she the one who took you up into space?"

Steven scratched the back of his neck. "That was a long time ago, dad. I mean, it's going okay, so far. But I don't know about Lapis. She's not handling it as well."

Greg still seemed doubtful. He sighed and looked around. "Boy, I bet it's been a chore with them around each other..."

"What do you think I should do?" Steven asked.

"This is going to be tough," Greg reminded him, "Especially after what happened between them. Peridot and Lapis were hard enough to work out, but Jasper and Lapis... Not so easy."

"I know..." Steven still didn't know what he was going to do.

Later that afternoon, Pearl was attempting to scoop out some frozen snow slush from the stairs. She grunted sharply with irritation as she nearly slipped.

"Oh, for crying out loud!" she griped. "Amethyst! Get out here and help me before we all slip and die!"

Jasper emerged from the temple, saw Pearl's condition as she slipped about like an ungraceful ballerina. She sputtered a laugh and Pearl looked back at her with annoyance.

"Oh, I don't need you offering colorful commentary on my condition, Jasper." she said, nearly slipping again.

Barbara Miller was walking toward the temple, carrying stacks full of mail. She folded through them, finding the appropriate ones to put into the mail box when she saw Pearl slide down the stairs in a rather ungraceful fashion. She gave a loud laugh at the sight.

"Hey, are you alright?" she asked.

Pearl flushed a little, dusting herself off. "I'm fine." she said, ignoring Jasper's guffaw.

Barbara chuckled. "Well, got some mail for Steven." She held out a package for him. "Just need him to sign for it."

"Very well." Pearl looked over her shoulder and found Steven trying to get Jasper to wear the scarf he'd made for her. "Steven! This courier requires your name!"

Steven nodded and eagerly rushed down the stairs, nearly slipping a few times in the process. Jasper watched him go with a frown on her face.

"Oooh! It finally came!" Steven cried, happily.

Barbara chuckled and waited until he was finished signing his name. "Welp, enjoy. I'm off to trudge through snow and sleet!"

Pearl raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that dangerous for your profession?"

"Nah!" Barbara waved her off. "No sleet or snow can keep me down!"

She walked away, whistling to herself. Steven eagerly rushed back toward the temple with his box in hand. Jasper was curious by his anxiousness and delighted sounds.

"Dude, what's with the face?" Amethyst asked him.

Steven began to tear the box open. Packing peanuts were thrown everywhere as he anxiously tore into it without mercy. Jasper raised an eyebrow.

"What is so important?" she asked.

"I ordered this yesterday and even went for the overnight shipping." Steven said. He pulled out a backpack shaped like an ice cream cone.

Jasper looked confused. "What...is it?"

"It's Ice Cream Backpack!"

Lion had taken to toying with the box while Steven was walking around with the backpack on. Jasper made a face at his antics.

O

Nanefua hummed a tune to herself as she wandered out of the pizza shop. She noticed Jasper and Pearl wandering down the streets together, talking.

"Oh!" she said, waving. "Pearl!"

Pearl noticed her and Jasper glanced down at the smaller gem. "Why is that small human waving at us?"

"Oh! Steven knows the family who owns a pizza shop." Pearl explained. "I can't imagine what she could possibly want me to go over there for, but let's not be rude."

Nanefua held up a wool cap when Pearl and Jasper walked up to her. "Steven left this in the shop yesterday."

Pearl chuckled and took it. "Yes, that sounds like Steven." she replied.

Nanefua looked up at Jasper and smiled. "So, are you two out on a date?"

The two gems looked startled by the question. Pearl blushed a bright blue and chuckled. "Oh! No, no, we're not actually..." she began.

Jasper snorted. "I'm not..."

"We're not together." Pearl told her, rather awkwardly.

Nanefua tilted her head, her smile disappearing. "Oh, such a shame. I could sense a closeness with you two. Oh well, my mistake."

A loud shout emerged from the pizza shop. "Mom! The water's boiling over and I can't-" A loud crash. "Oh, no! It's everywhere!"

Pearl looked surprised now. "Is everything alright in there?"

"Oh, yes!" Nanefua said, with a chuckle. "My granddaughters have gone to Emerald City for the weekend and my son is tending the shop alone."

She turned and walked back inside. "Kofi! I'm coming!"

A few fleeting glances were exchanged between the two gems. Awkward. Like they were young and just freshly made.

Jasper's mind drifted a little when they made their way around town. Pearl had been talking about what life was like for the Rebels and how they had managed to make their home here on Earth.

She couldn't stop thinking about what the small human had just said.

Her and the pearl?

Jasper scoffed.

That was a ridiculous idea.

 _"No."_

 _Jasper had looked shocked when Kunzite had refused her request to fuse. Kunzite had been busy working on straightening a few trophies aligning the walls of higher-caste gems._

 _"What? 'No'?" Jasper said, indignant. "But I thought-"_

 _Kunzite sighed gently. "Jasper..."_

 _"I thought you. And me..." Jasper suddenly looked embarrassed. VERY embarrassed._

 _Then, she scoffed and turned to go. "Forget it."_

 _Kunzite quickly moved to follow her. "Jasper, please. Give me a moment to explain." she said._

 _"What? You don't need to explain anything to me!"_

 _Kunzite chuckled gently, taking her hand. She looked up at Jasper and sighed. "Jasper, listen to me," she told her. "You remember what Pink Diamond told you?About fusion being for love? That is the belief she shared with you and one all of us hold dear, even in her absence."_

 _Jasper scoffed. "But we - "_

 _"You love how I talk with you. You love how I understand you. You love how I have listened where others have not." Kunzite shook her head at Jasper's eye roll. "But you don't love me, Jasper. You just THINK you do."_

 _Jasper's harsh scowl softened a little._

 _"The first time you fuse with another gem, it should be special." Kunzite reminded her. "A fusion made up of hate, pain or anything other than trust can only be made of poison."_

That was how the fusion Garnet had described Malachite. A fusion of poison. But poison had been Jasper's addiction. All she could think about was fusion. Something she had criticized simply because of how many had fled from her afterwards.

But Kunzite had been right.

Jasper's first experience with fusion had not been with Lapis and it had hardly been enjoyable. But she didn't want to think about it.

They walked to the beach and Pearl continued talking.

"I know Homeworld doesn't value this world or the lives of its inhabitants, but there is so much beauty here on Earth. So much wonder that gem life can learn from."

She looked over her shoulder and a grin broke out on her face. Several seagulls had chosen to perch themselves on Jasper. The larger gem looked annoyed and quickly shooed them away. Pearl laughed and shook her head.

"With the exception of the occasional pest or two, Earth can be a wonderful place," she told her. "And I hope one day you can see that."

Jasper scoffed. "This dirt ball of a planet is useless!" she snapped, kicking some snow. "How can anything this primitive be wonderful?"

"Well, it - " Pearl began. But she cut herself off when the seagulls returned to perch on Jasper.

She laughed and the larger gem stood there, glaring at them.

"I see you have quite the...animal magnetism." Pearl joked, laughing.

Jasper gave her a glare, one that had Pearl clearing her throat awkwardly. "It's a joke, Jasper."

"I know what a joke is. I hate jokes." Jasper snapped, shooing the birds away once more.

While they spent time together, Steven was trying to work on a way to get Lapis and Jasper to talk out their problems. Peridot wasn't being much help in that regard as she offered only pessimism.

"Well, it's not like it was when Lapis and I were arguing." Peridot told him. "Jasper's so stubborn. She'd never apologize."

Steven exhaled, paging through a magazine. "I gotta try though, right? I didn't give up on you two."

Peridot nodded. "True. But good luck trying to get Jasper to listen to reason." She scoffed and raised her hands. "I tried to warn her about an asteroid belt, she said 'Oh, just go through it. They're just floating pebbles'."

Peridot had deepened her voice to imitate Jasper and the action made Steven giggle a little.

"'Ooh, I am a big, hulking Quartz soldier! I could smash those asteroids with one touch stump'!" Peridot lumbered around in a crude mockery of Jasper.

Behind her, Jasper was standing and Steven's smile disappeared. "Uh, Peridot."

Peridot grinned with pride. "What? Is my Jasper impression too spot on?"

She looked down, noticing the shadow over her and turned, giving a yelp when Jasper was in her face now.

"You got something to say to me, runt?" Jasper hissed, squaring her shoulders.

Peridot made a rather undignified 'eep' sound and ducked behind Steven.

"Nope! Negative!" Peridot stammered.

"Good." Jasper snapped, making her way through the house.

"Jasper, hold on a sec." Steven walked in front of her. "I wanted to know if you'd be interested in talking with Lapis."

Jasper stopped, turned with vague interest. "Lapis?"

"Yeah. I was hoping work things out between you two." Steven said. "We can sit down and just...have a nice talk."

"And she agreed to that." Jasper didn't seem like she bought it.

Steven smiled weakly. "Kinda."

 _Earlier that day, Steven had followed Lapis everywhere, begging "please". Each plea was rebuffed with a firm "no."_

 _"Please?" Steven begged, lying in a snow fort while Lapis read a book._

 _"No."_

 _Again, while Lapis was walking down the beach. "Please?"_

 _"No."_

 _Once more while she was behind the door of the bathroom. "Please?"_

 _"No."_

 _By the afternoon, Steven had nearly given up when Lapis had finally agreed. "Fine." she said, curtly. "But I'll only agree to it because it'll make you happy."_

 _"Yes!" Steven had cried, jumping into the air._

 _"On one condition..."_

O

Jasper and Lapis were sitting far from one another, nearly on opposite sides of the beach. Steven was passing a chalkboard back and forth to them so they could write notes without actually talking. He panted as he ran back and forth, all the while the other gems watched from the porch of the temple.

So far, each message warranted the occasional glare, a grunt or a roll of eyes, but no serious fighting had been exchanged.

"This is ridiculous." Pearl quipped.

"They're not fighting. So it's an improvement." Garnet told her.

Steven jogged back to Jasper, holding out the chalkboard. Jasper had written how she just wanted to fuse with her to make themselves stronger and Lapis had crudely written **FUSE WITH YOURSELF**. A little angry face had been drawn with a tongue sticking out for good measure.

She scowled and yelled across the beach to her, cupping her mouth with both hands. "THAT'S NOT EVEN POSSIBLE!"

Steven shook his head. "Remember the condition, Jasper." he reminded her.

"Fine! But this is stupid!" Jasper snapped.

She snorted coldly and rubbed out the message, scrawling something else down before thrusting it to Steven. He groaned and jogged back to Lapis. Once she took the chalkboard and stared at the message, she scowled in Jasper's direction.

 **WELL YOU TRICKED ME AND KEPT US BOTH TRAPPED. SO WE'RE EVEN.**

She huffed and began to write down another note, but stopped and realized that Jasper's words held some merit to them. She sighed, shut her eyes for a moment and began to write down a message. It must have been a long one because Jasper was shifting impatiently where she sat. Finally, Steven walked over to her with the board and handed it to Jasper.

Jasper's eyes roved over the lengthy message and her angry features smoothed out a bit in surprise. She glanced over at Lapis briefly, then back down to the message. Steven sensed a change between them and looked over Jasper's shoulder.

"What's it say?" he asked.

 **I know we were both at fault, Jasper. But it wasn't healthy. It wasn't right. Not even you deserve to be treated like that. And I don't want that for either of us anymore.**

 **P.S. Steven's getting tired, so maybe we should call it quits. I can see him limping from here.**

Steven smiled a little. "Wow, that's really thoughtful!"

Jasper didn't seem like she understood the message, or she was struggling to come up with one herself. She rubbed it out, hesitated before writing another message. She glared up at Steven.

"Don't read it." she warned.

Steven nodded. "Okay."

He jogged over to Lapis, who took the offering of the chalk board. She looked down at it, somewhat surprised before frowning over at Jasper. The larger gem refused to look at her.

 **Fine.**

It almost sounded like an apology, especially the way she was behaving. Instead of looking at her any more, Jasper wandered back to the temple, caught the stares of the others and frowned.

"What are YOU looking at?" she snapped.

Pearl exhaled and followed her inside. She caught Garnet's suspicious look, but ignored it and followed Jasper to the peak of the temple. She took a seat beside her when she sat down to look out toward the ocean.

"I do deserve it." Jasper said, with a heavy sigh. "I deserved everything she gave me."

Pearl looked surprised before she shook her head. "Do you mean, Lapis?"

"YES! What else have we been talking about?" Jasper demanded, glaring down at her.

Pearl was embarrassed. She scratched the back of her neck before nodding. "Yes, I see..."

She cleared her throat and looked down, watching Steven and Lapis talking together. They couldn't make out what the two were saying, but it made Lapis smile a bit.

"Forgiveness isn't easy, you know." Pearl told Jasper. "And it's something you have to earn over time. Both of you. But the important part is that you forgive yourself."

"Forgive myself?" Jasper scowled at her.

"For...what happened." Pearl was hesitant to say it.

Jasper didn't answer.

"The moment you start accepting that you are worth more than what had happened between you and Lapis, the moment you can start healing. I think you already realized that when you were corrupted."

Jasper looked down at her scarred hand, trying to make sense of Pearl's words.

"You are worth more than you realize, Jasper." Pearl assured her. "I know how hard it is to believe that, after everything, but no one deserves to be shattered. And no one deserves to be treated that way. And we're all willing to help you find your place."

Jasper stared at her for a moment before smiling a little. She gave a small chuckle. "When did pearls become so smart?"

Pearl huffed a little, hands on her hips. "I'll have you know I am far more intelligent than..."

Garnet could hear them chattering above and she shook her head.

She didn't trust this.

But at least no one was fighting anymore. For now.

O

"Have you ever had ice cream?"

"Huh? No."

Pearl offered Jasper a cone of ice cream and the larger gem had taken an enormous bite out of it. Her features scrunched up and Pearl couldn't help but laugh with delight as Jasper attempted to find some manner of control over the enormous frozen treat.

"Oh no!" Pearl cried, in a fit of cackles. "Just - Just try working it around - Oh Stars!"

Watching them both behave that way when Garnet walked out of her room made her frown. But... She had to agree that it was the first time she'd seen Jasper look...like that. She couldn't describe the smile on Jasper's face when she tried chocolate ice cream, but it was different in comparison to her usual grins.

She didn't trust it.

Steven and Peridot were talking together about Petalite. About what they had seen from the hall of mirrors within the gem facility.

"Well, just count your lucky stars that it was just a Petalite and not an Onyx soldier." Peridot quipped, tinkering away at a radio. "Then we'd all be in trouble!"

Steven looked interested. "Onyx soldier? What are they?"

"Onyx soldiers are White Diamond's elite of the elite." Peridot explained, making gestures as she spoke. "They're like Jasper, only...scary."

"Scary?" Steven asked, with a chuckle. "How so?"

Peridot rubbed her chin thoughtfully before pointing at each gem going about their business in the temple. "Okay, so...think about the Crystal Gems." she began. "See how they have their own unique attributes and skills? Their own individual emotions?"

"Yeah?" Steven wasn't sure where this was going.

"Imagine all of that gone." Peridot told him, speaking gravely. "Anything that makes a gem an individual stripped away. Leaving nothing but a singular, mindless killing machine with no remorse. That's what an Onyx is, Steven. A warrior of the highest caliber who feels nothing for her enemies, and never stops until the target is silenced."

She snipped a wire to emphasize her point and Steven winced, clutching at his gem in response. Now that he thought of the Crystal Gems without their identity, it was a scary thought.

"Well, we could take her on if we ever saw her." he told her.

Peridot's eyes widened in horror and she shook her head. "Steven, no! Onyx soldiers are not to be fought with! You can't fight one!" She grabbed his shoulders, giving him a little shake. "Promise me if you ever ran into one, you'd run!"

Steven stared at her in protest. "But..."

"Promise. ME!" Peridot screeched, almost too desperately.

Steven realized how important this seemed to be to her, so he sighed and pried her hands from his shoulders.

"Okay! Okay! I promise!" he said.

"Good. Your response is noted and recorded for future reference." Peridot replied, satisfied. To prove her point, she held up her recorder.

"Alright, Steven..." Pearl said, walking up to him. "Now, you promised too that you'd help with spring cleaning today."

Amethyst was topping an ice cream cone with candy. "Uh, it's not even spring yet, Pearl."

Pearl sighed, staring upwards. "I know that, Amethyst. But it's been a while since we've cleaned the house and I'd like to have it look pleasant every once in a while."

"Ughh, fine!" Amethyst groaned, rolling her eyes.

Pearl smiled, satisfied. "Good."

The gems spent time dusting, wiping down windows and cleaning shelves. Jasper, Steven, Pearl and Amethyst took to cleaning out a room covered with murals. Old boxes had been stashed in corners, rolls of parchment and shelves filled with old things from across the ages.

Jasper had noticed a spider crawling across her arm and she tilted her head down at it. She tried to catch it, but it skittered away into a hole in the floor.

A puff of dust passed over her face and she suddenly sneezed. Immediately, her helmet appeared on her head; a ridiculous reflex that made everyone in the house laugh.

"Jasper, that's gold!" Amethyst cried, laughing.

"I didn't MEAN to do it." Jasper muttered, her helmet disappearing in a little poof of light. "It's all this stupid dust."

Steven had a mask over his face. He pulled it out a bit to talk clearly. "Yeah, it is pretty dusty." he agreed. "This attic hasn't been cleaned out in a while."

Lion popped his head out suddenly from behind a row of boxes. Pearl gave a yelp and swatted at him with her broom. Lion gave a bored rumble and merely moved off to the other side of the attic to do something else.

"Ooh! Look! I found an old book!" Steven cried, after rooting through a box.

"It's an old room. You need to be specific, Steven." Pearl told him, but her curiosity had gotten the better of her and she moved to look.

Meanwhile, Jasper had wandered around the room and ran her hands over a mural depicting images of other jasper's. They were locked in battle.

Peridot entered the room, chattering something that Jasper didn't care to listen to. She always did talk far too much for her liking.

"Ah! I see! Primitive carvings from across the decades!" Peridot looked intrigued now, narrowly bumping into Jasper. "An entire history of ancient gem culture right here!"

Amethyst studied one of the carvings with amusement. "Hey, check this out! This one looks like she's using the toilet!"

Pearl looked at the picture that Amethyst had indicated; a gem sitting on an intricate chair. "Amethyst, please. That's so inappropriate. This is Steven's culture we're looking at and you just..." She trailed off with a thoughtful murmur. "Oh, it DOES look like a toilet..."

Peridot smiled at the sight of jasper's in the carving standing together. Some of them seemed to be in the middle of fusion. This was interesting to look at. "Oh! Look at that! Jaspers banding together to protect their fusion partners!"

Jasper didn't want to look at the mural, nor be reminded of what she had failed at.

"Oh, and look, Jasper! There's one right here!" The others had been looking at a particular jasper in the mural she was indicating. "Oh, and she has a gem with her! And she looks happy here too."

Amethyst noticed that Jasper had her back to them. The larger gem lowered her head a little and she sensed that Peridot was crossing a line somewhere.

"Uh, Peridot?" she warned.

"See? I'm always saying that's exactly what Jasper's needs," Peridot continued, failing to notice the way Amethyst gestured for her to keep quiet. "Like this jasper here!"

"Peridot. Shut up." Amethyst said, again.

Peridot frowned, offended. "What? I most certainly will NOT - "

Amethyst elbowed her harshly in the abdomen. Peridot was about to protest until she noticed Jasper's condition. The larger gem seemed intently focused on the mural. She slowly reached up, touching the image of the gem holding hands with the jasper.

Then, her mind drifted and she watched the battle she had been a part of taking place through the mural's images. She could hear the shouts of battle, the clashing of swords and even the voices exchanged between herself and another gem.

 _Go! Go now!_

Jasper's eyes widened in anguish as the vision of battle was still so fresh in her mind. She forgot the other gems watching her. Forgot herself in the moment of memory.

The mural depicted her cornered by Rebels; she fought them off and shattered them. The image took a dark turn as the jasper in the mural could only watch in horror as the gem she had accompanied was shattered by Rebels, who circled her.

The sounds of her own screaming faded away in memory and she simply sighed, shutting her eyes. She hadn't realized Pearl had set a hand on her shoulder.

"Jasper?" she said, quietly.

Jasper's eyes opened and she looked down at Pearl, who was standing near the mural of the gem who had been shattered before her eyes. When Jasper noticed that everyone was staring at her, she hardened her resolve and snorted.

"What?" she snapped.

O

Pearl couldn't shake what Garnet had said from her mind.

She hadn't realized what she had been doing. She hadn't know just how attached she had actually grown to Jasper. Not in a familiar way at first; but Jasper had reminded her of herself. She had reminded her of what it was like to feel lost. Unwanted.

Worthless.

But what Garnet suggested was just ridiculous. Pearl did not feel that way about Jasper. Not in a thousand years would she feel anything like that for her.

Sleep was probably the best option for her. Clearing her thoughts with meditation certainly didn't work, since Amethyst and the others had simply been a distraction.

The following morning, Steven was showing Jasper how to cook pancakes. She held the pan handle in one hand and Steven held her larger hand.

"Okay, now..." he coached. "You flip like I showed you."

Jasper smiled and flipped the pan, sending the pancake into the air. Unfortunately, it stuck to the ceiling and Jasper looked annoyed. In fact, she looked ready to tear down the house. But Steven quickly intervened.

"That's okay!" he said. "I have my ultimate pancake cleaning device!"

Jasper stared at him strangely. "You do?"

"Lion!" Steven announced, gesturing to the large cat nearby.

Lion walked over to them and watched the pancake fall to the floor. He simply bent down, nibbled at it without argument. Jasper raised an eyebrow.

"Your pet is being so obedient." she remarked.

Lion propped his head up on Jasper's shoulder and gave a low yawn. Steven laughed as Jasper promptly pushed him down again.

"Well, Lion seems to have taken a liking to you." he pointed out. "I don't usually see him this friendly with the others."

Jasper made a face when Lion poked his head between her arm, sniffing at the cooking pancake.

"Stop it." she ordered. "You're going to get your stupid pink hairs in it."

Steven giggled a little, watching how Jasper constantly scolded the Lion.

"Did your mom teach you stuff like this?" he asked. Then, he corrected himself. "Oh, wait, I forget that gems don't have moms."

Yellow Diamond did none of the things a human mother would do.

There were days when she would send Jasper on demeaning and otherwise pointless missions. Even being an escort for Peridot was one of them. Jasper rarely failed in her missions. She made certain not to do so. When she did, Yellow Diamond would take her frustrations out on her.

Or worse.

Jasper had grown accustomed to the abuse from her leader. She faded away in her mind as it had happened many times. It was routine. It was simple and easy. And she suspected that Yellow Diamond did it as a reminder of what she had failed to do.

And it also served as a reminder to Jasper that Yellow Diamond would never be HER Diamond.

"No." Jasper finally answered, shaking her head.

Steven was silent, noticing that Jasper was no longer smiling.

"Jasper, can I ask you a question?" he asked.

"You will anyway." A much colder response now.

"Uh, yeah..." Steven collected his thoughts and spoke. "I don't know what happened after...well, your Diamond was gone. But I know it wasn't good. And I know that we can help you move passed that."

Jasper sighed. "No, you can't. Even SHE said it. I deserved what happened."

Steven frowned at that, was silent for a moment before he scowled. "Jasper, that's just not true!" he said, with more determination than ever. "Yellow Diamond, she... She's wrong, okay?"

Jasper seemed a little surprised by his words.

"I don't know the Diamonds. I don't know who they're supposed to be on Homeworld to other gems, but you didn't deserve any of it."

"I don't believe you."

"Fine. I'll keep saying it every day until you do believe me."

Steven folded his arms across his chest, proud of his own response. Jasper stared down at him, confused to all the known universe. Smoke began to billow up from the pan and Steven suddenly panicked.

"Oh! Oh, the pancake! It's turning into a pan rock!" he cried, jumping in place.

Jasper grunted and struggled to scoop it out of the pan, but when it finally dislodged, it was sent flying through the window and Garnet was outside to watch as it sailed through the air and landed into the ocean. She murmured thoughtfully.

"Steven must be making breakfast again." she mused.

That night, Pearl was sound asleep when she awoke to the sound of Jasper's moans. She stood up, having been used to the sleeplessness of the other gem. She walked into the living room. Jasper had a bed crafted out of pillows and blankets. She was stirring a little with frightened sounds.

"N-No, please..." she moaned, freezing Pearl where she stood. "Forgive me. I..."

Pearl was not used to hearing such sounds from Jasper. So she knelt down and lightly stroked her cheek. The touch made Jasper flinch in her sleep for a moment, as if she had been struck. Then, she seemed to calm a little and Pearl smiled gently.

"Mmm...My Diamond?" Jasper murmured, in her sleep.

Pearl leaned down, whispering softly. "No, Jasper. It's me. Pearl."

Jasper seemed to sigh through her nose, resigned. It was hard to tell if she was still asleep or not. She smacked her lips a few times and grunted. Seeing Jasper look calm and content. She didn't want to disturb that in any way.

Stars knew she needed the rest.


	9. Chapter Nine: Greatest Story Ever Told

~O~

 **Chapter Nine: Greatest Story Ever Told**

"So are we sure the pools are here?" Steven asked.

Pearl was looking at an ancient scroll in her hands. She held it up in front of her face and studied the old drawings that depicted a map of Earth and several interesting points marked in red.

"The map does provide directions to this forest." she said. "Though it's ancient at best. I'm sure that many changes were made after this was printed."

Steven looked up at the map in her hands. "Uh, Pearl?" he said. "That map has a hole in it."

"What?"

Pearl looked down and noticed that he was right; a hole in the center of the map was visible where something had burned it. She stuck her nose through it and groaned with dismay.

"Well, this is just ridiculous!" she snapped. "Whoever went out of their way to destroy a perfectly good - and VERY OLD map - "

Garnet pointed ahead of them. "We're here."

They looked up, noticing the ruined architecture bearing the image of White Diamond. Pillars of Her visage marked specific events that were of no pressing significance, vines ensnaring them. Steven noticed too that the vines had roses.

The marble pools carved in various pits that once held water were empty, filled with leaves and sticks. Jasper looked around with disgust.

"What did you expect to find?" she said. "These pools haven't been used in thousands of years."

Garnet wandered around the pools, studying the depictions of gems that would have poured the waters from stone jars in their hands.

"These pools are ancient," she told them, deep in thought. "Very ancient. I've never seen White Diamond use markings like these."

Steven made his way into one of the pools and wandered around.

"Be careful, Steven." Pearl called.

"I'll be okay!" Steven called back.

He noticed gem text marked into the stone at the other edge of the pool and looked over his shoulder to Jasper.

"Jasper!" he said, "I found some gem text."

Jasper jumped into the pool with him and made her way over to it. She squinted and furrowed her brow at the message.

"It's written in an older dialect," she told him. "It says 'Clarity is the essence of Order. Order and Reason will survive'."

Steven looked confused. "What does that mean?"

"It's just a proverb of White Diamond." Jasper told him. "She believes in Order and Reason. Everything else is just...weakness."

"Hm." Steven considered that before he looked around. "Why would she abandon these pools though?"

"They're older. I imagine they were replaced with something more...modern." Pearl had passed them and explained before Jasper could. "Lapis did mention that Homeworld had become far more advanced since then."

Garnet had been studying a wall in the background while they were talking. She pressed her ear to the wall to listen for something.

"There's a blockage here," she told them.

Her gauntlet appeared on her right arm and she punched the wall with all her might. An explosion of rubble and smoke shot up from the blow and gushing, white water poured from it. The others quickly scattered as rivers of water began to pour into the pools, filling them once more.

"Well, that's one way to do it." Pearl quipped. "Thank you, Garnet."

Jasper dipped herself into the water, testing it.

She had almost forgotten about the stories involving the Pools of Clarity. The aroma was still as strong as ever, even from being unused for so long. The others watched her silently.

"Jasper?" Pearl queried. "How do you feel?"

Jasper furrowed her brow. "Give me a minute."

She submerged herself into the waters completely. The distorted shapes of Pearl, Garnet and Steven reflected above her.

Jasper shut her eyes, letting herself find clarity among the waters.

 _It's okay._

 _Everything will be okay._

She didn't know where the voice came from, but the tension in her form suddenly felt as if it were bleeding away. Her mind even felt washed free of every bit of anguish, loathing, bitterness...

Pearl made a surprised sound when Jasper surfaced.

"How do you feel, Jasper?" Garnet asked.

Jasper smiled a little. After soaking in the waters, she actually looked a lot happier now. It was such a refreshing sight to see.

"Better, actually."

Steven held up a hand. "Ooh! Me next!"

He jumped into the pool, splashing the other gems in the process. Pearl grimaced and shook her soaked hands off.

"Oh, Steven!" she griped.

He surfaced with a laugh, splashing the water a bit. Just like Jasper, he felt a sense of clarity and peace from being in the water.

"Wow, this feels great!" he said. "I wonder why White Diamond abandoned these pools!"

The gems spent time relaxing in the water the remainder of the day.

O

Jasper was attempting to meditate.

Pearl sat across from her, instructing her to count her breathing. They had been sitting in silence at the Pools of Clarity for a few hours, but Jasper didn't seem like she was getting the hang of her meditation.

"I don't know if I'm meditating right..." Jasper quipped, making a face.

Pearl chuckled. "It's all about mental relaxation," she instructed, "It allows for you to think deeply or focus one's mind for a period of time, in silence or with the aid of chanting, for religious or spiritual purposes or as a method of relaxation."

Jasper raised an eyebrow. "Relaxing isn't my thing. I'm a jasper."

"Yes, and I'm a pearl, but look at me now." Pearl pointed out.

Jasper exhaled. "True."

"Remember, Jasper; what we are doesn't define us," Pearl reminded her, "I have learned that what we hold in our hearts is what we truly can be."

Pearl seemed interested in asking her something, but hesitated. Jasper caught the move and raised an eyebrow.

"You want to ask me something." she said.

"I suppose." Pearl replied. "Maybe... What was it like being in that bubble? I've never thought to ask as no one has come back from corruption twice as you have."

Jasper wasn't quite ready for the question, so when Pearl had asked it, her features darkened a little. Pearl read the look and quickly shook her head.

"Oh, I didn't mean..." she began.

Jasper thought about it; how being in that bubble felt. As a corruption, it almost felt like she was dreaming. But her dreams were cloaked in shadows and misery. She had dreamt of witnessing the battle over and over again with no end in sight.

"It was cold." Jasper finally answered Pearl's question. "Like I was stuck in a dream I couldn't wake up from. That's what it was like."

Pearl seemed to think about something. She looked a little disappointed.

"I see..."

O

Steven was flipping through the mail when he suddenly noticed the card from Jaime. An invitation to his performance in Empire City.

"Oh, my GOSH!" Steven cried, running toward the house. "Guys! GUYS!"

Pearl was standing at the oven now, attempting to stir something in a pot while Jasper was pacing back and forth behind her.

"Jasper, pacing isn't going to cook it faster." she told her.

Amethyst joined in the pacing as well.

"Yeah, it is!" she laughed. "Let's have a Pace-Off!"

Pearl rolled her eyes, annoyed. She swatted at them with the wooden spoon when they began pacing near her. "Alright, all Quartz's out of the kitchen. Now!"

Steven chuckled a little. "What are you making, Pearl?"

"Well, I was going to make some chocolate - "

Amethyst snatched the pot right off of the burner with a cackle and Pearl scowled, chasing after her.

"Amethyst!" she yelled.

Amethyst quickly shapeshifted to stretch herself to the ceiling, out of Pearl's reach. She shoveled sticky handfuls of chocolate into her mouth.

Pearl huffed indignantly, stomping her foot once. "You couldn't wait until I was finished?" she snapped.

"It's really good!" Amethyst called down to her.

Pearl sighed, made a face before she glanced up at her. "Well... I am getting better at this human cooking thing, I suppose." she said, evenly. She looked down at Steven. "I was cooking some chocolate for a cake. The recipe was called Boiling Chocolate Cake."

Steven laughed. "Pearl, I don't think you're supposed to actually boil the chocolate."

Pearl frowned thoughtfully. Glanced down at the oven for a moment before she scoffed. "Well, they shouldn't put that in the title then. I swear, it's like humans deliberately go to any lengths to confuse themselves."

Amethyst shrugged. "I liked the chocolate anyway."

"Thank you, Amethyst." Pearl quipped. She looked down at Steven, noticing the card in his hands. "Well, what do you have there, Steven?"

Steven brightened. "Do you remember Jaime? He's got himself a show in Empire City! He's invited all of us to come and see it. And get this..." He spoke dramatically now. "It's about all of us!"

Pearl looked surprised. "What?"

Amethyst grinned now, delighted with the idea. "Whoa, are you serious?"

Jasper seemed a little lost about it. She frowned down at Steven. "This human knows about our battles? Have you been telling him everything?"

Steven laughed sheepishly. "Not...EVERYTHING."

"And you think a human making a ridiculous display about us is something to be proud of?" Jasper sounded suspicious and a little more insulted than anything else right now.

"No, no!" Steven sought to alleviate the growing tension. "He did it FOR us! Since we were the ones who helped him find his start in the city, he wanted to do this! It's just a nice gesture, Jasper."

Jasper still had her doubts. What sort of things would this human she'd never met before have to say about them? She didn't like the idea and couldn't understand why the others seemed okay with it.

"Can we go and show our support?" Steven begged. "PLEASE?"

Pearl made a face. "I don't know..."

"But Jaime's really counting on us to be there!" Steven pleaded. "It would hurt his feelings if we didn't show up!"

Pearl sighed, considered it before she nodded. "Very well."

O

Jasper, Amethyst, Steven, and Pearl visited Empire City along with Greg.

"I still can't believe Jaime made an entire performance for you guys," Greg said, smiling at them as they walked down the street. "Man, that kid's really moving up in the world." He exhaled. "A shame the others couldn't come."

They arrived at the theater in question, finding it lit up with a neon sign: "LIFE AND TIMES OF THE CRYSTAL GEMS." They stared at the sign for the longest time before Jaime stepped out, delighted to see them.

"Gems!" he exclaimed. "You came!"

When he saw Jasper, his eyes widened in shock. Steven held up a hand to stop him when he began to stammer and babble.

"Long story." he told him.

Jaime continued to look a little frightened of Jasper's presence before he met Steven's gaze. A smile lit his lips and he attempted calm in his voice.

"W-Well, I'm really glad you guys are here! I wouldn't be here if not for all of you!" he said.

Pearl nodded an affirmative. "Well, yes, I suppose..."

"Come! The show's going to start and I'm really excited for you to witness the glory of theater!" Jaime quickly hurried inside and giggled the entire time.

Amethyst glanced up at Jasper, who seemed a bit pensive about it. "It...could be fun." she offered.

Jasper scoffed. "What does this human think he knows about us?" she snapped. "Seems like a cheap attempt to slander the legacy of Gem Life."

Pearl seemed to agree with Jasper to an extent. Still, she tried to be fair. "Now, now, let's reserve judgement until we see what Jaime has created. Do you remember the performances on Homeworld? The ones that were done for the Diamonds?"

Jasper remembered them.

 _Pearls danced in the center of the crowds, dressed in the finest gowns, painted in vibrant colors suitable to their respective courts. They sung melodies and notes that echoed across the great hall. All four Diamonds observed them from a balcony._

 _Jasper had been sitting and observed the pearls. Their dance was peformed with perfect choreography; their voices rang through the hall like a wet finger on glass and their bodies bowed with power not seen in the gem of their make._

O

There were quite a lot of humans in the theater.

The gems, Steven and Greg made their way through the rows of seats and sat down. Greg smiled brightly at the others.

"Well, it was nice of Jaime to arrange these spots for us!" he said.

Jasper seemed distracted. Her eyes wandered around the theater to the various humans waiting to see what she was sure would be a ridiculous display.

"Well, I'm going to get some snacks. Anyone want anything?" Greg offered. He didn't get a response, so he wandered off. "I'll just get one of everything."

The show was beginning to start and the room darkened. Jasper watched with a frown when the curtain rose, revealing a set representation of the beach and Gem Temple. Two actors walked onto the stage; one was dressed in an odd costume of Steven and another of Garnet.

"Garnet!" Actor Steven exclaimed, holding up a bag. "I can't activate my gem powers!"

Actor Garnet cleared his throat. "Well, Steven. Have you tried eating Cookie Cat ice cream yet?"

Actor Steven laughed. "No! I haven't! I'll try that!"

The actor reacted into the bag, producing a prop of the ice cream treat in question. He pretended to eat it and a cardboard cutout of Steven's shield was tossed at his feet from off stage.

"My shield!" Actor Steven exclaimed, gasping.

The gems and Steven in the crowd looked at each other skeptically. Steven didn't seem unhappy with the portrayal.

"Hey! I remember that!" he said, over the laughter of the humans.

Jasper snorted. "You enjoy this humiliation?" she snapped.

"It's not humiliating, Jasper!" Steven told her. "Look at how happy it's making everyone!"

Jasper looked around at the humans who continued to laugh at the display on stage. She was at a loss. Shouldn't this have been a great insult to Steven? To be laughed and mocked by humans seemed like something that should have not been acceptable.

"Besides, I was really not sure about my powers before," Steven whispered to her. "So it's okay to laugh sometimes."

Jasper's brow knotted.

The show went underway; each story was told by ridiculous human actors revealing the tales of the Crystal Gems, all the while the humans laughed, applauded and delighted in it.

Actor Pearl stepped onstage, yelling at Actor Amethyst about a mess she had made.

"You always make a mess!" she yelled. "You are a soldier, not a child!"

Pearl huffed, folding her arms across her chest. "I do NOT sound like that."

Amethyst laughed and the others joined in.

"You kidding! That beanpole is your clone!" Amethyst laughed.

Pearl sank deeper into her chair with annoyance on her face. Greg returned to them, carrying bags of popcorn, cups of soda and candy. He squeezed into his seat and offered them the snacks. Pearl declined, but Jasper and Amethyst worked on eating the chocolate. Steven took the popcorn.

"Did I miss anything?" Greg asked him.

"Ah, just some character development," Steven told him, laughing. "Nothing too extreme. A lot of subtext."

Greg smiled. "Ah, good."

The scene transitioned to the beach once more. A cardboard cutout of Jasper's ship appeared from the ceiling and the gems looked eager now.

"Ooh! They're gonna show you, Jasper!" Amethyst cried.

Jasper looked at them skeptically. "That isn't ME on that stage." she snapped. But she hesitantly watched as the set unveiled a cardboard finger.

Curiosity killed the Quartz.

A fog machine was used to emphasize the approaching Actors.

An enormous, muscular woman stepped onto the stage; wearing a ridiculous cloak and dressed in a wig that was made to make her look like Jasper.

"I AM JASPER FROM HOMEWORLD!" the Actor bellowed, in a ridiculously deep, sing-song voice.

Jasper's eyes widened in disbelief. "What is this?" she demanded.

The humans in the audience were laughing. Actor Peridot and Lapis stepped behind the Actor Jasper. Actor Jasper pointed at the Actor Crystal Gems, speaking in that same deep, ridiculous voice.

"You! I have come for your planet!" Actor Jasper told them.

"Never!" Actor Garnet cried.

Actor Peridot snorted. "Fine! We'll shoot you now!"

She pressed a button on the makeshift watch she had and a ribbon shot out of the finger. The actors made an effort to fall and imitate the destruction.

The entire play continued to display scenes of her battles with the gems. All the while, Jasper felt herself growing more insulted and more angry by the minute. The others didn't seem too bothered by the displays of their "Actors". In fact, they seemed to enjoy it.

Jasper rolled her eyes, leaning back in her chair once before glaring down at Pearl. "This is an insult!" she spat. "I am NOTHING like that!"

"I don't know," Pearl said, with a smile. "I mean, they've captured your Quartz energy quite well. And by human standards, quite well."

"I DON'T SING!"

Amethyst laughed loudly. "What a pretty voice you have, Jasper!"

Jasper huffed, standing to leave. "This is stupid. I'm not going to endure this ridiculous humiliation any longer!"

She started to go, but froze when the sound of the Actor Jasper cried out "My Diamond!" She turned slowly, eyes widening when she saw the actor on her knees, holding what looked like broken shards. The gems sitting in the seats suddenly looked uncomfortable.

"Uh-oh." Amethyst said, warily.

Jasper turned, facing the stage with wide eyes.

The Actor Jasper was holding the shards in her hands and raised them high. "By my very gem, I will SWEAR VENGEANCE UPON ALL THE REBELLION!"

Pearl looked toward Jasper, who's gaze had darkened.

She looked relatively calmer now, but the stare in her yellow eyes could buckle multitudes.

O

There was a brief intermission and the gems filed out of the auditorium, struggling to stop Jasper as she made her way passed crowds of humans. She pushed a few roughly out of her way, ignoring the sounds of protests so she could reach Jaime.

He turned to the others, surprised to see them. "Hello!" he said, "Did you - OOF!"

He gave a yelp when Jasper picked him up roughly by the front of his shirt and lifted him to meet her furious gaze.

"Jasper, please, put him down!" Steven begged.

Jaime grunted, squirming in Jasper's clutches. "W-What's this about?" he cried.

"My entire existence is not a joke," she whispered, her voice cold enough to freeze the air around them. "My life...my mission and my goal...is not some little game you can parade in front of your worthless worshippers. You know NOTHING! Nothing of what our lives mean!"

Jaime's eyes began to fill. "I-I didn't mean to..." he began.

Pearl pulled at Jasper's arm in an effort to calm her. "Jasper, please, set him down." she insisted, "This isn't going to solve anything."

"Jasper, he didn't know!" Steven added. "Please, don't hurt him!"

Jasper glanced down at Steven before she looked at Jaime. The pitiful fool of a human was starting to cry and she scoffed, opening her hand and having him fall to the floor.

Steven watched as she walked away. "Jasper, wait!"

Pearl quickly followed Jasper and Greg scratched the back of his head. He helped Jaime onto his feet and even dusted him off a bit.

"Hey, look, I'm sorry about all of that," he said, evenly.

Jaime shook his head, a bit shaken by the whole thing. "No, no, it was my fault." he replied. "I didn't think of how my performance could have come off to them. I got too involved in the Director's Charm, I suppose."

Steven interrupted him. "No, Jaime. It was my fault. I told you all that stuff before we had Jasper come to our side. I think we can still fix this."

"How?" Jaime asked.

Steven frowned thoughtfully before hurrying over to the concession stand. "Excuse me?" he said, addressing the worker behind the counter. "Do you have a pen and paper I can borrow?"

The worker nodded. "Uh, sure."

He offered the items to Steven, who thanked him and began quickly writing something down. The others approached and Greg tilted his head curiously.

"What are you writing there, stu-ball?" he asked.

Steven smiled and held the paper up to Jaime. "Something that might fix this." he said.

Jaime looked down at the notes before he brightened. "Oh my!" he exclaimed. "Steven, this is brilliant! It has angst, romance, drama! I love it!"

"Do you think your actors can get it together in time?" Steven asked.

Jaime chuckled. "Steven, this is theater," he assured him, "Every second is precious to us."

O

Jasper was being tugged by Steven to walk into the auditorium.

"I don't want to continue watching this ridiculous display, Steven." she snapped. "You may tolerate humiliation, but I do NOT."

"I promise, you won't be." Steven assured her. "It's better. Please, I don't want you to leave upset."

Jasper huffed with annoyance, but she glanced briefly to the stage, then to Steven. Perhaps it wasn't entirely appropriate for her to feel so quickly stirred by human actions. A soldier had to exercise proper control and assess the alien ways of Earth better than that.

She sighed. "Fine."

After a few long moments, they had returned to their seats and awaited the continuation of the performance. The curtain was still left down and Jaime was standing at the center with a microphone in hand.

"Attention everyone!" he said, "There will be changes to the finale of our performance to better reflect the characters! I hope you find these changes to your liking!"

A few murmurs from the audience. Jasper furrowed her brow, leaning forward slightly with confusion.

The curtain lifted and Actor Jasper was being held by an Actor with pink colors to her clothes.

"My Diamond, you are here..." Actor Jasper groaned. "Do you still love me after everything that happened? After I failed you?"

Actor Pink Diamond embraced him. "I will always love you for everything you are, my Jasper!" she exclaimed, dramatically as an actor. "I will never blame you for what became of me. You did everything you could and all will remember that."

Jasper's cold look softened to a degree. Pearl was actually tearing up a little. Jasper glanced down at her briefly before returning her gaze to the stage.

"Be free, my Jasper! That is what I want."

Jasper's eyes wandered around the theater while the Actors continued. She noticed there was no laughter. No joy among them. Instead, they looked to be at tears. They were moved by the act before them.

Jasper glanced down at Pearl, noticing the way she seemed so into the display before her.

As the group departed, Jasper looked down at Steven skeptically. "You had something to do with that, didn't you?"

"Maybe." Steven said, with a smile.

The only response Jasper had for that was a quiet scoff.

Meanwhile, onboard Yellow Diamond's ship, her pearl had noticed the odd shape of a Ruby approaching, drifting aimlessly throughout space. She raised an eyebrow, murmured thoughtfully and then typed on her holographic screen. She stared at her screen for a few moments before looking back at her Diamond.

"My Diamond. Ruby-1F4 Cut-4ND, is approaching the vessel."

Yellow Diamond looked up briefly at the screen, watching as the Ruby drifted toward her ship. For the moment, she did not question why the gem she had sent to Earth was drifting in deep space like an embarrassment.

She would find out once she brought her on board.

Yellow Diamond turned to her pearl. "Secure the ruby and bring her to me immediately."

"Yes, My Diamond."

Her pearl gestured to the two gems standing in the doorway - Yellow Gypsum. "Well? Go and retrieve her!"

The gems disappeared after a quick salute and it took only a few minutes before the ruby was brought to Yellow Diamond. She immediately kneeled and saluted her, but Yellow Diamond did not want to waste any time with formalities.

"Well?" she said, curtly. "Care to explain why you were drifting aimlessly through deep space? And where are the other rubies I sent with you?"

The ruby shivered, so small in the presence of her leader. "M-My Diamond, I should warn you that rebels still exist on Earth."

"The corrupted ones. Yes, I am fully aware." Yellow Diamond said, gruffly.

"N-No, My Diamond!" Ruby insisted, "These rebels are not corrupted! They are living on Earth, protecting it!" She hesitated at Yellow Diamond's wide-eyed stare of shock. But only for a moment. "And Rose Quartz... She still lives."

The mention of Rose Quartz warranted a stunned look from Yellow Diamond. She stared at the ruby with a mixture of amazement.

"You're quite sure?" she asked.

Ruby nodded anxiously. "I was face-to-face with her healing powers myself!"

"And...you were able to shatter her." Yellow was certain that would have happened. No gem under her command would dare return to her a failure.

The ruby had the sense to look mortified. "No, My Diamond! I'm afraid I was no match for her bubble."

Yellow Diamond's pearl made a disgusted face. What a ridiculous excuse.

"Perhaps I am not being practical." she said. "You DID bring me information that may suit my needs for the future. I will certainly look into this."

Ruby opened her only good eye and looked up, surprised and confused by Yellow's change in attitude. She managed to smile, still wary.

"Thank you, My Diamond!" she exclaimed.

"Hm." Yellow seemed disinterested in the praise. She looked at a holographic screen laid out before her, touched a few document files.

She would talk with Blue about this. Stars only knew the other Diamond needed to move on. When she tried to contact her, however, there was no response.

Yellow sighed with dismay. She knew where the other Diamond was.

O

Yellow hated this place.

The Human Zoo was a pointless creation to preserve an otherwise pointless species. Blue would be here constantly in an effort to preserve whatever legacy Pink had left behind. She didn't comprehend why Blue went through such effort when she could just move on.

She entered Pink's throne room and noticed the other Diamond kneeling in front of hundreds of bubbled Rose Quartz's. She sighed and stared upwards.

"Please tell me you're joking." she said, annoyed. "You only just left, and you're already back?"

Blue wiped her eyes with one hand and looked up at her, surprised by her presence. "Yellow! W-what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to bring you back to reality, Blue."

Blue sighed, voice shaking. "I'm fine. Just leave me alone."

Yellow paced around the room and gestured to the gems over her head. "It's been thousands of years, Blue, and you still can't bring yourself to destroy these Gems?" she insisted. "She was shattered by a Rose Quartz! The entire cut of Gem deserves the same fate!"

Blue stared at her, then to the gems overhead. "But they were hers."

"They should be wiped out of existence, not kept safe in bubbles!"

"Yellow, she made them. This is all we have left of her. These Gems, this place, and the Earth."

Yellow sighed, pacing behind her. "I thought we agreed we need to put that planet and this whole debacle behind us." she snapped.

"Why can't you just let me grieve?" Fresh tears fell from Blue's eyes and she looked away from the other Diamond, voice taking a slight edge now.

"You can't keep coming here forever!"

"Why not?"

Yellow sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. Then, she took a seat beside her. "There was a ruby retrieved earlier today," she explained, "She reported gems on Earth. Including the Rose Quartz who shattered her. If you wish to remain here and wallow away in your grief, be my guest. But I intend to do something about it."

Blue looked at her, features alight with surprise. "What? Rose Quartz is still alive?"

"The ruby was certainly adamant about it. The report from the peridot holds some credence after all," Yellow replied, "Now, we can both send gems to inspect this matter. What do you say?"

Blue seemed to think about it. She wiped her eyes with one hand against and nodded. Her gaze darkened now.

"Very well." she replied.

O

 _Note_ \- I changed the way That Will Be All played out. For my fic, I didn't quite want contact with the Diamonds to happen just yet. So this happened. Also, yeah, I referenced ATLAB. I would LOVE if SU did something like that.


	10. Chapter Ten: Rising Sun

~O~

 **Chapter Ten: Rising Sun**

The house was quiet, but Pearl could faintly make out the noises of Jasper's moans. She tried to ignore it, but eventually made her way out of her room. She found Lion trying to nudge Jasper awake, but the other gem was not to be consoled. She squirmed, groaned and whimpered.

Pearl approached, gently nudged Lion aside and shook the larger gem. "Jasper, it's okay..." she said, gently. "You're dreaming."

Jasper seemed to sigh through her nose, resigned. It was hard to tell if she was still asleep or not. She smacked her lips a few times and grunted. Pearl stood up and turned with the intent to resume her meditation. She was satisfied that Jasper seemed calm enough.

"...Can you stay...?"

Pearl had almost departed, but the question that left Jasper's lips made her freeze immediately. She was torn about staying and leaving. Oh, what would Garnet think if she saw them this way? But... The plea tugged at her.

She wanted to stay.

"Alright, I'll stay with you, Jasper." she whispered, in the gem's ear.

Jasper smiled a little in her sleep. Pearl somehow managed to get comfortable enough beneath her larger arm. She tucked her head beneath Jasper's chin and watched as she shifted a little. Pearl almost yelped when Jasper pulled her closer and it made her blush a deep shade of blue.

Well, this was peculiar.

The following morning, Jasper and Pearl were sound asleep together and Amethyst had a camera pointed in their faces. She was giggling the entire time and Steven had brightened when he saw them.

"Aww, they look so peaceful!" he whispered.

Amethyst snickered. "Wonder Nerd and Stripes sleeping together." she told him. "THIS is wall worthy!"

She flashed a picture, one that startled the two sleeping gems awake. They both gave a collection of gasps and cries and sat straight up. Pearl grimaced and raised a hand to her eyes.

"Oh, Amethyst!" she cried, in furious protest.

Amethyst let out a stream of cackles. "Did you have a good sleep last night, Pearl?" she cried. "You two sure look like you did!"

Pearl and Jasper looked at one another and immediately, Pearl's face couldn't have turned a brighter shade of blue even if she wanted it too. Jasper also looked equally abashed before she snarled and started chasing Amethyst.

"Give me that!" she bellowed.

Amethyst took off with another fit of giggles and Jasper chased her outside. Steven watched them go, making a face before he heard the sounds of Peridot screeching soon follow. Well, the two must have somehow involved her in their chase.

Pearl sighed, standing and brushing herself off, making sure she looked somewhat presentable. When she sensed Steven's funny smile, she frowned.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked.

Steven grinned happily and pointed at her. "You like Jasper." he said, in a silly, sing-song tone.

Pearl was still blushing blue all across her cheeks. "W-What?" she stammered, laughing weakly. "N-No, I don't! Look, Steven, she was just in distress and I happened to be there at the time - "

"Every night this week?" Steven guessed, smirking playfully.

Pearl sputtered out any attempt at an excuse. Steven continued making ridiculous faces, folding his arms across his chest.

"Oh, so what?" she snapped. "It doesn't mean anything!"

She turned and stormed over to the kitchen.

"Pearl, that's okay if you like Jasper." Steven assured her.

"Steven, please stop talking." Pearl was still flushed blue as she attempted to distract herself with making breakfast. "I'm already embarrassed enough."

A screech outside turned their attention to the door.

"AHH! No, Amethyst! Stop throwing sedimentary grains at me!" Peridot was screaming disdainfully. "Jasper, quit it! I do NOT want to get involved in your - " Another screech. "THAT ONE HAD A CRAB IN IT!"

Pearl sighed and looked down at Steven. "Look, Steven, I just think we need to keep this to ourselves, alright? Nothing is going on."

Steven looked disappointed. "Oh. Okay."

Garnet had been listening to them from nearby.

O

The corrupted Quartz raced through the desert with the Crystal Gems and Jasper hot on its tail. She was cursing furiously, charging like a rampaging bull after the corruption.

"Jasper!" Steven cried. "How did you catch this one the first time?"

Jasper snorted. "I ran it to the GROUND." she shouted. "You were there, remember?"

"Oh, right...!" Steven said.

Pearl dove in front of the fleeing creature, spear at the ready. She took several shots at its feet, hoping to cripple it enough to be poofed. The shots caused the creature to stumble forward with a roar of distress and Jasper moved quickly.

She jumped onto its back, seized handfuls of its mane and twisted, forcing it to fall. It skidded toward the edge of the canyon and Jasper smirked triumphantly, stomping across its large chest. She bent down to retrieve its gem.

"Now, time to disappear!" she hissed.

The corrupted gem suddenly shot up, seizing Jasper's arm with its rows of dangerous teeth. Jasper gave a shout and Pearl cried out in horror at the sight.

"Jasper!" she shouted, rushing to offer aid.

The others followed, but could only watch as Jasper and the corrupted gem were sent struggling over the edge of the canyon. Pearl reacted by diving off of the edge with her.

"Pearl! No!" Garnet cried.

Jasper was locked in combat with the corrupted beast as they plummeted toward the ground below. She punched it in the face several times, finally kicking herself free from its teeth. Pearl finally caught up with her and wrapped her arms around Jasper's shoulders.

"Jasper, come on!" she shouted, over the roar of the wind in their ears.

She noticed the look on Jasper's face. The look that carried with it a firm resolution to her fate. The fall would surely be enough to severely damage her, if not shatter her completely. It was so far. So easy. Pearl shook her head slowly when she read the stare. Saw the decision to end it.

"No! Don't you dare!" she cried.

Jasper grunted, hissing with effort and returning to reality with a quick blink of her eyes. She turned in midfall, somehow managing to face Pearl. "What are you doing?" she demanded. "Why did you jump too? You're an idiot!"

"I'M NOT LETTING YOU FALL!" Pearl shouted back.

"Why?" Jasper demanded, hair whipping around her face. Her features changed, smoothing out with anguish. "Why do you keep trying? Why won't you JUST LET ME GO?"

Pearl felt tears in her eyes, yanked free from her face by the fall. "I can't do that, Jasper! Because if you go... then it would have all been for nothing..."

Jasper's eyes widened for a moment when those words left Pearl's lips. She searched Pearl's eyes for the truth. For falsehoods. A change went over her then, an unknown emotion and warmth. Then, she shut her eyes and smiled.

A pearl.

Here with her.

Pearl smiled with her and they held each other close, not realizing that their gems had begun to glow...

The sight of a flash of white was seen by the others above. They saw how Jasper and Pearl disappeared in the glow. How their forms vanished and began to merge.

Amethyst's eyes widened. "Oh no..."

O

"Wha... What...?"

The voice that came out first was softer.

The dust had settled and the gems had rushed to the bottom of the canyon to see that Jasper and Pearl were gone. In their place was an entirely new fusion.

She looked almost exactly like Malachite, but her body was white with orange stripes and a star shape printed on her uniform, parallel to Jasper's Yellow Diamond uniform. The four legs she walked on resembled the paws of a tiger, feet ending in claws.

Jasper's gem was situated over the middle portion of her face and Pearl's gem on her forehead. Her hair resembled more of Pearl, but wild and fluffed out like Lion's mane.

Both sets of eyes were green and slit like a cat's.

"We..." The fusion's voice rang out of her with shock. She stared down at her hands in amazement. "...fused?"

"Pearl! Jasper!" Garnet said.

The fusion looked toward her with confusion and unease. She tried to stand again, but her four legs collapsed beneath her and she gasped out loud, voice ringing out of her with alarm.

"I..." the fusion exclaimed.

It seemed like Pearl's personality was more prevalent given the lower set of eyes cringing in a very familiar "Pearl grimace".

"I didn't mean to fuse!" she exclaimed. "It just...happened!"

Garnet raised two hands to calm them. "It's alright, stay calm."

Steven studied the fusion; the stripes along her body, the way she struggled to move on four legs again. Pearl was not accustomed to having four legs, so this was probably all her. She wiggled her toes a little, smiling.

"I've never had four legs before." she remarked.

"Pearl!" Steven said, walking up. He spoke carefully, cautiously. "How...is it?"

The fusion stared down at her hands again. She spoke hesitantly. "I...don't know. It's...different this time. I don't..."

Garnet tilted her head. "Jasper? Is she..."

Jasper's personality seemed to take over given the widening of the upper set of eyes. "I'm here, fusion. I'm fine."

The fusion moved passed them, contemplative. She stared down at her hands, studied the long, hardened nails.

"So, we really did it."

Garnet wasn't too sure if she liked the idea of Pearl and Jasper fusing. Considering how Jasper felt toward fusion, it felt like something could go wrong. She could have been swept right back in her old ways. Or her personality could engulf Pearl's.

But again, this felt different than Malachite. She couldn't put her finger on why exactly. But there was no cold air around them. Instead, a soft warmth that resonated the same way as...

Herself.

"Perhaps I was wrong," she told them. "You're a lovely fusion." Her smile broadened. "A large, lovely fusion, I should say. I should have been more open to this possibility. How do you two feel?"

The fusion studied her hands, rubbed her face and seemed to think about it.

"Guys!" Amethyst exclaimed, delighted. She wrapped her arms around one thick leg of the fusion and grinned up at them. "Let's see what you can do!"

The fusion smiled. "Alright. Let's do it."

Then, a moment of hesitation. It was hard to tell from who.

"If...you're okay with it."

"I am. Let's go."

The fusion walked further ahead into the canyon with the others following. She mused to herself, staring down at her hands.

Pearl's spear produced itself from her gem and Jasper's helmet appeared on her head. In a few seconds, both weapons combined themselves into a set of armor with spikes protruding from them. Amethyst and Steven stood there, jaws dropped in amazement.

"Carnelian." the fusion said, smiling with satisfaction. "That is our name."

She transformed into a spinning orb of light and spikes, surging through the canyon with the grace of Jasper's spinning move.

Steven and Amethyst cheered for her. Carnelian performed a near perfect stop and the armor vanished. She smiled and bowed a little. That was Pearl's showmanship for sure.

"Whoa." the fusion said, grinning with delight.

The near excitement in her voice was probably Jasper. Garnet could hear it in the tone. She still had hesitation on the whole thing, but it wasn't fair to not give her teammate a chance.

"Alright you two," she said, "Go and have fun."

"Thank you, Garnet!" Carnelian brightened.

She turned and raced down the canyon, calling back to them.

"We'll be back!"

Steven and Amethyst seemed quite happy for the two.

"Jasper and Pearl, huh?" Amethyst joked, with a laugh, "Who would have ever thought?"

O

Carnelian raced through the desert, panting happily. She felt so free and so weightless. The sun on her back, the wind through her hair. While she ran, several wild stallions raced passed her and she couldn't help but laugh.

This was different than Malachite. This felt better.

 _I didn't know it could be like this._

Carnelian stopped running after leaping across a chasm with a fierce shout in her fall. She laughed with pleasure and peered over the edge before watching the wild stallions pass by. Then, her smile disappeared a little. Both gems within the fusion spoke back and forth.

"Are you okay?" A pause. "We can stop...if you want."

"No, I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

The fusion walked now, continuing to talk.

"Is this...what it's supposed to be like?"

A chuckle. "Well, yes, if it's with someone you..."

A nervous laugh.

Then, Jasper spoke more through the fusion and Carnelian smiled her smile. "What?"

"No, nothing."

"No, it's not nothing. Tell me."

"It's just... Well, if someone told me long ago that I would fuse with Jasper, I may have just..."

"Just what?"

"I may have laughed at them and called them crazy."

"Hmph."

"I was joking again, Jasper."

Carnelian took a seat, studying a small flower that had started to grow in the cracked, scorched earth of the desert. Her claws gently touched it and she smiled a bit.

"Do you regret anything?"

"Do _you_?"

"No, not really. I am a little surprised that it's us. But I'm here and I can't say I have any."

Carnelian was quiet for a moment.

"That's the second time you jumped for me."

"What?"

"I saw it. When we fought on the island. You jumped for me. Why?"

A hesitation from Pearl's side of the fusion.

"...I don't know."

"Hm." Carnelian looked up at the sun. Felt the warmth against her face. She smiled again and took a long, deep breath.

"So this...this is who we are."

"Yes."

"We should get back. The others will be wondering where we are."

A moment of hesitation. "Are you going to leave?"

A warm chuckle from Pearl. "Well, Jasper, where would I go? I've been here for a long time."

Another moment of hesitation. No response.

"I understand. But you don't have a thing to worry about. I'm not going anywhere. Now let's go back to the temple. We can talk more about it later. Does that sound like a good idea?"

"...Okay."

O

It was nightfall by the time Carnelian made her way back to the temple. Jasper had wanted to stay fused just a little longer and Pearl was fine with it. Once they unfused, they looked at one another. It felt strange now that they had fused; it was so different compared to simply laying together.

"So..." Pearl began, shifting awkwardly.

"So." Jasper reiterated, feeling less like a soldier and more like a freshly made gem.

"Where do we go from here?" Pearl asked.

Jasper seemed to think about it. "I don't know. I never thought a fusion like that would come from a pearl." she said.

At Pearl's offended frown, Jasper smiled now. "That was a joke."

Pearl rolled her eyes. Then, she smiled and laughed a little. Well, she was happy to see the other gem getting better. The fact that Jasper actually made a joke was a good change in itself.

"We should get inside." she said. "They're probably worried about us."

Jasper glanced over at the temple, then again and made a face. The gems and Steven were watching them from the window. She raised an eyebrow and scowled.

Pearl looked in the same direction and scoffed, stomping her foot once. "Get away from that window!" she shouted.

They quickly darted out of sight.

"Well, let's get ready for a lovely game of one thousand questions," Pearl quipped.

Jasper looked at her curiously. "Will we fuse again?"

The question made Pearl pause in her steps.

"Jasper, when we fuse again, I hope it will be in better circumstances," Pearl told her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "And not you jumping off of a cliff again."

Jasper thought about Pearl's words.

She didn't say "if". She said "when".

Pearl wanted to fuse with her again.

The thought made her smile.

O

"Guys, this is amazing!"

Pearl and Jasper were a bit bemused by the delight over their fusion. They were overwhelmed by Amethyst and Steven's excitement for them. Lapis seemed a bit disappointed in the whole thing as evidenced by her odd look from the kitchen. Pearl had caught it, but tried not to pay any mind as she smiled at Steven's excitement.

Her actions had caught up with her. She began to feel an odd sensation in the pit of her belly. Yes, she had not intended to fuse with Jasper. And Jasper had clearly not intended to do the same. It was strange how both of them had found some sort of connection when falling into the canyon.

She didn't know what it meant, but right now, she didn't want to think about it.

"Steven, that isn't necessary." she told him.

"But it is!" Steven cried, throwing his arms around her neck, earning a grunt and a sheepish smile. "I'm so happy for you guys!"

"Yes, well..." Pearl said, "Thank you, Steven."

Garnet approached the two gems and she actually smiled a little. "I can see that I was wrong about you two." she told them. "You both had fun. You both seem more compatible than I would have thought. It's amazing how that always works out in the end."

The response didn't feel right to Jasper and she stared at Garnet.

"I got it!" Steven punched his palm once. "You two should go on a date!"

Pearl and Jasper looked at one another, confused for a moment.

"A...date?" Pearl said. "Like how humans do?" She looked hesitant now. "I don't know."

"It'll be great!" Steven told her. "You can talk about stuff... Ooh, Connie can help us!"

Pearl hesitated and glanced at Jasper. "Uhm... Well, what do you think, Jasper?" she asked, suddenly looking quite demure. "Would that be something you'd want to try?"

Peridot laughed loudly with mirth. "Jasper on a date? That'll be interesting to watch!"

"What do you mean?" Steven asked.

"I've never been on a date." Jasper replied.

The gems actually looked shocked to hear that. She read their odd looks and bristled where she sat. She didn't like the stares from them. The assumption.

"What?" Jasper snapped, squaring her shoulders a little. "Just because I'm a Quartz, I should have experience in courtship?"

"N-No, Jasper, we just..." Pearl began. She laughed a little. "Nevermind."

Steven began to dial Connie's phone number and quickly hurried off, chattering excitedly. The others simply stared at Pearl and Jasper expectantly. The two glanced at each other and Pearl flushed with embarrassment.

Jasper tried not to show her smile, but Amethyst caught it and grinned. "Aww, look at her blushing!" she teased, poking Jasper's cheek.

Jasper gave her an annoyed glare.

O

Connie sounded so happy when she heard the news. Steven brought her over to the temple so that he could explain what had happened and what they were planning. Connie squealed happily, literally star-struck by the idea.

"So, Jasper?" she said. "Have you never gone on a date before?"

Jasper snorted. "No."

"So, what kind of date rituals did they have on Homeworld?" Connie was curious. "Was it like dating? Or did you do something different?"

Jasper thought about it. Courtship rituals varied between gems and usually Diamonds the gems belonged to supervised them. In Jasper's observations, Pink Diamond was more open about gems of different types fusing and being lifelong partners. The others not as much. Blue Diamond had broken gems for this. White Diamond had been indifferent to it, but mostly did not permit it in any way as she felt it was a distraction from a gem's truer purpose. Yellow Diamond simply found the idea disgusting and on the same level as Blue Diamond.

In the case of jasper's, she had seen them engage in combat rituals to earn the affections of a gem. It was something that she always thought made the most sense. After all, what good was a lover if they were not capable of defending their partner?

Jasper had seen many of these rituals. She had attempted to take part in one which was an event that Pink Diamond often held for her court. It allowed for gems interested in courting another to enter the court with unlit candles. The gems available to court had candles that were lit with pink flames.

Jasper knew the ritual and remembered it well. If a gem expressed interest in another, they would light their candle. And to honor the union, the candles would stay lit for the entire festival. It was an odd tradition, but one that represented the constant burning of their bond.

Still, most gems had looked at her with fear and even disgust, and even none of them had chosen her for it. It had been humiliating and Jasper had never visited the court halls during the event ever again. While Jasper was confident that fear was something they SHOULD feel of her, disgust was something else entirely. She didn't want to be looked at that way.

Steven and Connie had started talking about how they would help Jasper and Pearl together on a good evening for their date. But Jasper didn't have the slightest comprehension how she would go about this. Dating on Earth seemed like a ridiculous custom to her, but it was one that the Rebel Gems would know quite a bit about.

If it meant that she would get a chance to fuse with the pearl again; if this was a part of the custom, then maybe she could try it.

"My mom can help us with Jasper," Connie suggested. "She knows a LOT about this stuff."

O

Priyanka Maheswaran was sitting in the living room that afternoon, going over several important documents. She signed her name on a few of them, occasionally murmured thoughtfully. It was routine and Connie knew she was busy.

"Mom!" she said. "We need your help."

Priyanka didn't look up from her work. "What is it, Connie?" she asked. "I've had several call-offs today and I have to finish these before next week."

"We need you to help us fix Jasper up for a date!" Connie said, moving to her side. "You have the BEST advice and tips."

Priyanka smiled a little. "Well, I suppose I do." She sighed and stood up, setting her pen down. "A little break from this won't hurt, I suppose. So...where is she?"

Steven gestured to Jasper, who had taken to looking around the house with vague interest. "Jasper's right here, Miss. Maheswaran."

Priyanka turned and gave a loud, startled cry when she saw Jasper. Steven and Connie looked surprised by her abrupt outburst. Priyanka smiled weakly and studied Jasper up and down.

"Your friend, she's very...tall." she said, prudishly.

Jasper rolled her eyes with a rude grunt.

"Hm..." Priyanka gave Jasper a thorough analysis by circling her and murmuring thoughtfully.

Jasper frowned down at Steven. "What is she doing?" she snapped.

Priyanka faced Jasper curiously. "So, you're going on a date. Do you know what you're going to wear?"

Jasper shrugged and gestured to herself, glanced down and then back up to the adult human. Clothes? She hadn't considered the possibility that such a thing would be necessary. Earth customs were even more strange to her.

Priyanka shook her head. "I figured."

While they spent the time tending to Jasper, Pearl was being preened and groomed by Amethyst, Peridot, Garnet and Lapis. She was so overwhelmed and delighted by their attention, clearly revelling in it. The way they tended to her made her feel like a Diamond.

Garnet sighed as she studied Pearl's hands.

"Garnet, if you're going to criticize this..." Pearl began.

Garnet shook her head. "I'm not. Pearl, I'm happy that you've given Jasper something she could be happy about in a healthy and open way."

Pearl smiled.

"But..." Garnet continued. "You've also introduced her to a stable and powerful fusion. Jasper is addicted to fusion, as you recall. Same as you. I just hope you're prepared to handle that."

Peridot handed Pearl a whistle on a string and she took it, frowning. "What is this?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing. I simply watched an Earth film with Lapis that involves whistles," Peridot informed her. "Jasper is a gem that requires training in every field of courtship. So if she does something wrong, blow this whistle and I'll be there."

Pearl laughed at the idea. "What are you going to do?"

Peridot held out a rolled up newspaper. She smacked it into her palm and Pearl made a face.

"Peridot, that's hardly necessary. Jasper is a gem. Not a dog." she said.

Peridot snorted with amusement. "You're right. But I like my idea and I'm not changing it." She thrust the newspaper into the air like someone would if they brandished a sword. "She'll never see me coming!"

Lapis raised an eyebrow. "She'll probably hear you, first."

They shared a laugh and Pearl rolled her eyes at the joke. That hardly seemed appropriate.

"We're just going to talk. Just a pleasant talk."

The others looked at each other and snickered. Pearl frowned in annoyance.

"What?" she demanded.

O

Jasper didn't understand the point of the bath.

She never had to take one, but the human mother seemed to insist that it would make sense for her evening with Pearl.

Priyanka studied her splotchy, scarred hand with a curious murmur while Jasper soaked herself in the bath tub.

"Mm, this is a rather interesting color pattern," she said. "How, may I ask, did you get it?"

Jasper shrugged. "What does it matter?"

She didn't want to talk about it.

Fortunately, the human didn't persist on it and simply murmured an affirmative. She removed her hold on Jasper's hand and moved to a shelf nearest the toilet. She rummaged through a few things and said something under her breath that Jasper couldn't hear.

The water and the smelling soaps - an odd Earth fruit smell - was actually a little relaxing. She remembered the days when she would languish herself after a battle in the baths on Homeworld. Pearls would spend the day grooming her and only when she was bored of the silence did she order them to talk.

"Mm, I haven't used this perfume since my first date with Doug." Priyanka said, chuckling.

"Is that your life partner?" Jasper asked.

Priyanka chuckled. "In a sense, I suppose. We're married."

"What's 'married'?"

"It's when you commit to one person forever." the human explained to her, studying Jasper's hardened nails. "Because you love them. Though sometimes people get married for different reasons. It's all very complicated, I'm afraid."

Jasper frowed, trying to think about what 'marriage' on Earth meant. The concept of life partners was still lost to her. How did one love someone forever?

"Hm," Priyanka said. "Alright. Let's get you out of the tub so that we can work on managing that lion mane you call hair."

Jasper shrugged and stood up, shaking her hair with the grace of a dog. She ended up drenching Priyanka from head to toe in water. The woman stood there, frigid and dripping.

"I was going to offer you a towel, but you could do that..." she muttered.

Jasper walked passed her, footsteps slapping against the tiled floor. After a few moments, the sound of Doug's screech filled the air.

"Priyanka!" he cried. "Who is this woman and why is she dripping water all over the sofa?"

Priyanka sighed and covered her face with one hand. "This is going to take a lot of work..."

O

Jasper was reading a book entitled "Ways to Behave at Dinner" while Steven, Connie and Priyanka were brushing her hair. She occasionally grunted from the brushes combing through her mane and raised an eyebrow at the words on the pages.

"What sort of demented human wrote this?" she snapped.

Priyanka tilted her head with dismay. "Andrew Fallon is not a demented human." she scolded. "He has educated many in the field of courtship."

"This 'Andrew Fallon' sounds like a weak little mammal," Jasper snorted. "Courtship isn't formed with simple, silly gestures. Combat and tests of strength are what fascinates a gem."

Priyanka made a face and looked at Connie. "She's very 'Old World', isn't she?"

"No, I'm from Homeworld." Jasper corrected, annoyed with the mistake.

Priyanka sighed, turned and faced Jasper, tending to the locks of hair that fell over her face. Jasper watched her purse her lips, focus intently on her hair as if it were a difficult thing.

"Jasper, I love how soft your hair is!" Connie exclaimed, smiling.

"Uh...thanks." Jasper didn't know how to react to the compliment.

"Okay, Jasper," Steven said, standing in front of the gem. "So when you go on this date with Pearl, what's the first thing you're going to talk about?"

"Uh, fusion?" Jasper tried.

"No!" Steven insisted, "You ask about her. Talk about personal interests, things like that and then...?"

"Then I ask her to fuse with me." Jasper said, as if she had it figured out.

Steven groaned, covering his face with one hand.

Priyanka made a face and frowned at the two children. "What is this whole talk about 'fusion'? Because it sounds completely inappropriate."

"It's not," Jasper snapped. "Look, just get on with it."

"Very well." Priyanka said, mildly irritated by the tone.

She relaxed a little, ran her fingers through Jasper's hair and brushed some stray hairs from her shoulders. She resumed her grooming for a little longer before Jasper was growing anxious. She wanted to see the work they had done. She made a gesture with her hands.

"Let me see, already!" she insisted.

Priyanka smiled with pride, backing away. "Well, I've worked with much worse, but you look a thousand times better, if I may say so."

Steven offered Jasper a hand mirror and held it up to her. The gem looked surprised by how well her hair had been combed, trimmed and managed by the human's hands. Priyanka had even applied a touch of makeup to her face - which Jasper was certain was a sort of war paint. But to her dismay, Steven and Connie had laughed about that before it was explained what the function of it was.

Pointless, but Jasper didn't recognize herself in the mirror, even with the little details done to her physical form.

"Jasper? What do you think?" Steven asked.

Jasper didn't know what to think. "It's fine." Jasper finally said. "Acceptable."

Later, Connie and Steven waited while Priyanka helped Jasper get dressed in another room. Connie groaned, getting impatient.

"Come on, Jasper!" she said. "Let's see!"

"Fine, fine." Jasper's annoyed response came from the other room.

She stepped out, wearing a white formal suit. Steven and Connie stared at her with amazement, even as she struggled with a tie. Priyanka chuckled and moved to help her.

"Oh, don't worry," she said, "Even after twenty years, my husband still can't tie one of these."

She helped Jasper straighten her tie and smiled her approval.

"There, you look good as new."

Steven and Connie smiled brightly. "Jasper, you look amazing!" Connie told her.

Jasper's cheeks lightly flushed and she looked away with a grunt. She looked down, retrieved a top hat and set it on her head.

"What about this?" she asked. "Peridot's ridiculous viewing screen programs suggest a hat with this ridiculous human outfit."

Steven and Connie made a face. Steven gestured a little with his hand.

"No hat." Priyanka told her, taking it.

Jasper scowled at her, but sighed.

She took a deep breath, collecting her thoughts.

Here she was again, engaging in Earth's courtship rituals. And with a pearl.

She had really sunk low.

No, that was wrong. Pearl was no ordinary pearl. She was different. She didn't know how to say it, but she was. Jasper felt pride in that.

O

"I'm not nervous."

"No?"

"No."

"Then why have you been dragging my car through the snow for the passed five blocks?"

Jasper hadn't realized she had a death-grip on Priyanka's car door and was dragging it just as she had complained about. After departing the Earth vehicle, she had obviously not noticed her actions. The human woman looked deeply annoyed by this. Steven chuckled weakly and attempted to pry Jasper's fingers from the buckled steel of the car.

"Jasper, it's okay," he assured her, "There's nothing to be worried about."

Jasper nodded her head, releasing her grip on the car. It fell to the ground with a particularly loud crash. Priyanka sighed, staring to heaven.

"Thank the stars I have insurance..." she muttered.

Jasper didn't know what she meant, but she decided to ignore it in place of other things.

Meanwhile, the gems inside the temple were leading Pearl toward the door of the house. She had been dressed in her own suit consisting of old First Era jewels and decor. She looked so different and even Lapis had to remark on it.

"You look nice, Pearl." she said.

Pearl smiled, waving her off. "Oh! Well, thank you, Lapis." she said, "I admit, it was a bit strange to drag out these old things. I haven't worn them since we visited that old monarch all those years ago. I think Rose saved him from drowning that one time."

"I am sure that Jasper will find you nice too," Garnet added.

Pearl chuckled. "Yes! My date with her will..."

Then, the idea that she was actually going on a date with Jasper had caught up with her. Her eyes widened and she gave a panicked sound.

"I'm going on a date with Jasper!" she cried, suddenly nervous.

She turned with a yelp, but the other gems grabbed her before she could flee. Amethyst held her arm with both hands.

"Pearl! You can't back out now!" she cried, "Jasper will be heartbroken!"

Peridot nodded an affirmative. "Jasper doesn't handle rejection well. I anticipate a rather abrupt and unpleasant result."

"She might throw something big and heavy." Lapis added. "She seems fond of that."

Garnet sighed, shooing them from Pearl. "Don't listen to them." she said. "Pearl, you're going on this date and we will handle everything else. You go because you want to. Not for some obligation or fear or what would happen."

Pearl smiled weakly. It wasn't like she DIDN'T want to engage in this Earth ritual. But with Jasper... She couldn't believe this was happening. And so fast.

"Now, come on. Let's meet her outside." Garnet continued, holding out her arm for Pearl to take.

Pearl smiled and nodded. She wrapped an arm around Garnet's.

Jasper and the others were almost to the temple and were offering the gem advice on how to engage in conversation. Once they had made it to the temple, Garnet and Lapis were standing there, hiding Pearl from view.

Steven gave Jasper a little push. "Go get her, tiger!" he joked.

Jasper took a deep inhale, straightened the lapels of her suit and nodded.

"And remember to compliment her!" Connie called.

Jasper approached the two gems and they smiled, stepping aside. Pearl was in the middle of attempting to straighten a wrinkle in her suit sleeve before she caught Jasper staring. She quickly flushed and stood properly, hands in front of her.

"Oh! Jasper!" she exclaimed. "I - I didn't see you there! Oh! Well, obviously I should have, but..."

Garnet softly cleared her throat and Pearl got the idea. She nodded, attempting to calm her nervousness a bit and looked Jasper up and down.

"You clean nicely." she said, the blush still there on her cheeks.

Jasper looked back at Steven and Connie. They made gestures with their hands and a few little flicks of their heads; they wanted her to say something nice.

"Oh..." she mumbled.

Jasper looked down at Pearl. "Those, uh...Earth clothes you're wearing look...good."

Pearl looked a little surprised by Jasper's compliment to her. "Oh!" She giggled a little and waved one hand in front of her. "Thank you."

Jasper looked back at the two children for approval and they gestured for her to continue.

"Uh...you're VERY pretty?" Jasper tried.

Steven flashed a thumbs up. Well, it was an improvement for her.

Garnet looked at Lapis and gestured for her to follow her inside. "Alright, Lapis, let's go inside." she said. "Leave these two to themselves for a moment."

Pearl extended her arm. "Shall we?"

Jasper nodded and took her arm into her own. She was aware of how small Pearl was, how different they were in size and class.

Jasper looked back at the two humans again, realizing they were flashing her a thumbs up and smiling their approval. She managed to smile back.

Well, this was going good so far.

O

Both gems sat stiffly across from one another at the table set up on the porch.

Pearl smiled, her eyes darting around her. Jasper's nails were raking little grooves into the sides of the table. This was ridiculous. She knew what to say whenever she needed to say it. Why was she the one acting like a timid little pearl?

Oh, right. Because she'd never engaged in this ritual before. And she had only felt this vulnerable during the courtship rituals on Homeworld. She hated being in such a state, but the human mother and the children assured her that this was what Pearl would like.

"So!" Steven appeared between them. He was dressed in a suit and tie; he reminded Pearl of the time when they had helped the restaurant owners. "How are the two lovely ladies fairing this evening?"

"We are fine, Steven. Maybe you should go inside and let Jasper and I have some privacy, yes?" she suggested.

"Right!" Steven said, saluting them. "I'll start you off with breadsticks."

He hurried back into the house and watched them from behind the couch; he had set it up in the middle of the floor so he could peer over them with binnoculars. Pearl sighed, and reached up, pulling down the cloth awning they had set up to block their view.

"Aww..." Steven protested.

"So..." Pearl began, meeting Jasper's eyes. "Anything...interesting you'd like to talk about?"

Jasper looked down at a book she had in her lap. It was small, able to have fit in her pocket. It was a guide to things she could say that she had taken from the human child's mother. It seemed useful and she was sure it wasn't a problem if she had borrowed it.

Adapting the human linguistics to her gem life would seem suitable.

She flicked her gaze up to Pearl and cleared her throat. "I have seen many pearls, but you are the first who I did not need to repeat an order to."

Pearl looked at her strangely. "What?"

Jasper made a face. "No, that's stupid..."

She briefly flickered her gaze down for another possible sentence and tried again. "Congratulations on serving the purpose you were made for. As a pearl, you've gone above and beyond your call of duty."

Pearl's expression was absolutely confused, and mildly annoyed. "Jasper, what in..."

Jasper grimaced and muttered under her breath, attempting to find a better line. "They make it sound easy in this ridiculous book..."

"Book? What book?" Peark asked. She leaned to one side and tried to look under the table. Then, she looked back at Jasper and raised eyebrow. "What are you hiding under the table?"

Jasper quickly attempted to hide the book. "Nothing!" she snapped, flustered.

Pearl chuckled, and her voice filled with a hint of insulted pride. "Well, if it's nothing, you won't mind showing me."

"No." Jasper said, tensing in her seat.

"Jasper, don't be ridiculous," Pearl said, making her way over to her.

She attempted to reach behind Jasper's back, but the larger gem hid the book behind her. It was a silly struggle between them that ended up with Pearl sprawled over Jasper's chest, attempting to seize the book just barely held out of reach.

"Jasper? Pearl? I've decided to put Steven to bed, so if you..." Garnet had just stepped outside to inform them of her decision when she saw their condition.

She stopped, stared at them; Pearl was leaning over Jasper's chest in a rather undignified manner. Jasper was looking at her curiously.

Garnet slowly backed her way back into the house and shut the door.

Pearl waited until Jasper was still distracted enough before she snatched the book from her hand with a triumphant sound. She paged through it, frowned and laughed a little.

"Jasper, were you trying to compliment me?" she asked. "Well, this book isn't the right way to do it, you know."

Jasper huffed, annoyed. She pushed Pearl from her and the gem took her seat once more. "Jasper, don't be embarrassed." she said. "I'm quite flattered that you took the time to do something like that." She made a face. "But I would not use Earth courtship rituals as an example. They don't entirely know what they're doing."

Jasper chuckled. "That's what I said."

"Well, enough of the books for now," Pearl said. She added quieter now at the corner of her mouth. "Never thought I'd hear myself say that..." Then, she smiled at Jasper. "Just...talk to me."

"About what?"

"Anything."

While they spent time conversing, Garnet and Amethyst were attempting to listen in. Amethyst made a face, shaking her head.

"They're just talking about books and trophies. Why is that interesting?" she said.

"It's interesting to them." Garnet reminded her.

"Oh."

O

Pearl and Jasper practiced dances on the beach.

Pearl was trying to show her fusion dance steps, but none of them seemed to fit for Jasper's size. So Pearl suggested a fusion dance that only Jasper would know.

"I know one." Jasper said, removing her jacket and rolling up her sleeves. "Think you can keep up?"

Pearl chuckled, delighted by the challenge. "I KNOW I can."

When Jasper moved to the left in a side-step, Pearl immediately knew the dance. She took Jasper's hand in hers and the other went around her waist. They moved like a mirror of raw physicality; Jasper taking the lead. She seemed wild in her steps, powerful. Something Pearl revelled in.

She hadn't realized how close she was to Jasper; their bodies pressed tightly together in an imitation of fusion in its first stages. Jasper was looking at her in all the ways that Pearl wanted to be looked at - wild, ferocious and filled with need. Her yellow eyes nearly glowed.

Oh, stars...

Her chest constricted, her gem began to glow. Jasper's did as well. Their bodies disappeared in a melding of light, a union of souls. It was as if they had been made for it, the blissful fusion of their forms.

Carnelian formed so smoothly, so readily. Her arms first, then the many legs. She stared up at the stars with a mixture of wonder and pleasure.

"How was that?"

"...Perfect."

"You were so nervous. I've never known you to be nervous."

"You don't know me as well as you think you do."

"I hope to learn."

Carnelian smiled and let out a long, relaxed sigh.

It had been a good date after all.


	11. Chapter Eleven: Garden of Whispers

~O~

 **Chapter Eleven: Garden of Whispers**

Jasper had her eyes covered by Steven's hands while he sat on her shoulders. Connie was holding her hand, leading her somewhere down the boardwalk.

"Just a little further!" she announced.

Jasper sighed. "Tell me where we're going already." she griped.

"Okay, we're here!" Steven said.

He pulled his hands away from her eyes and she looked up at a large sign that read "BEACH CITY FUNLAND". Confused, Jasper frowned at the others.

"What is this?" she asked.

"We thought you'd like to spend some time at Beach City Funland," Steven told her, when she picked him up and set him down.

Jasper thought about it for a moment, completely confused by the offer. Maybe she could understand other Earth rituals that the gems seemed so fond of. Particularly Pearl. Understanding much more would help her have a better grasp on how to please her.

"And this would make Pearl happy?" Jasper asked.

Connie laughed. "No, Jasper. It's for fun."

"Fun." Jasper frowned at the idea.

Connie nodded with a cheerful smile on her face. Then, she looked over her shoulder and quickly rushed over to do something. Jasper didn't know or really pay any mind to whatever the small human was doing. She thought about how surreal it felt just sitting here among her enemy. Talking. Like old war comrades.

It was still taking some time getting used to it.

"Hey, Jasper." Connie said, interrupting her thoughts. "Want to try some?"

Jasper glanced down at what Connie offered; a slice of pizza resting on a napkin in the palm of her hand. She shrugged and took the offering, taking a bite of it before grimacing.

"Ah, it burned me!" she snapped, glaring at the offending pizza slice.

Connie chuckled. "Well, you have to let it cool." She took a seat beside Jasper and decided to eat from her own slice of pizza. "Jaspers are pretty impatient, huh?"

Jasper scoffed. "That's ignorant of you."

"Sorry." Connie quickly said.

Jasper sighed, meeting her half way at least. "We're impatient. We always have been. It's just part of what makes us what we are."

While they were talking, a small, spider-like gem skittered through Funland. Red, shimmering and its form flowing with ribbons of light. It almost tripped over a worm and hissed, the colors of its body dancing like a kaleidoscope.

It climbed on top of a tent and looked around, chattering excitedly. The joy around the little corrupted gem seemed to fuel its delight.

Steven, Connie and Jasper made their way through Funland. Steven was describing the various games and rides to Jasper. They walked into the Funland arcade where Connie started to explain a game to her. Jasper studied the cartoonish dummy doll labeled "Punch Buddy".

"I like this one," Connie said, smiling. "You put a quarter in and you punch him."

Jasper raised an eyebrow, pointing at the ridiculous thing. She found the idea pointless and rather stupid. "You punch that?"

Connie nodded. "Yes, you punch that."

She put a quarter in the machine and the dummy doll activated, raising both goofy, over sized fists. Jasper recoiled a little in disgust.

"This is ridiculous. I'm a trained gem warrior, for Diamond's sake." she snapped.

 _"Give it your best shot, kid!"_ it yelled.

Jasper scowled and raised a fist, punching the machine hard. Her fist knocked Punch Buddy from its stand completely, and it gave a loud scream of _"Tell my wife I'm sorry!"_

Steven and Connie winced.

"Oh no, not again!" Steven cried.

Jasper was confused when they began ushering her away quickly. "What?" she said. "Isn't that what I was supposed to do? What's wrong?"

O

Connie and Steven were attempting to knock down several stacked cans with small bean bags. They were missing several times, all the while Mr. Smiley watched with amusement. Connie knocked down one of the cans and smiled, but Mr. Smiley shook his head.

"Oh! Too bad!" he said. "Better luck next time!"

Jasper frowned. "She knocked one over. I saw it."

Mr. Smiley laughed with delight, poking Jasper on the gem. "Now now, let me explain something to you, my large, lovely lady!" he said, in an insufferable, bubbly tone. "Those cans are still standing. Which means no prize for them!"

Jasper's eyes narrowed.

"Jasper, it's okay." Steven assured her, pulling her hand. "Let's try the rides instead."

Jasper refused to move and the force of her stock-still strength had Steven nearly falling over when he tried to pull her.

"Let me try." she said, her tone darkening slightly.

Mr. Smiley grinned, missing the tone. "Alright! Give it a shot, honey!"

Jasper clenched several of the bean bags in her hands. She gave him a cold look before smirking. "Trust me. I will."

Steven and Connie backed away instinctively and Jasper threw the bags with a loud grunt of effort. They obliterated all three stacks of cans and shot through the wooden hut with all the speed of a bullet. Mr. Smiley yelped and ducked for cover.

Jasper looked down at the cringing human. "I knocked them down." she said, with a triumphant smirk on her face.

He stared at the smoking holes in the wall before grinning, frightened.

"We have a winner!" he cried, voice high with fright.

Later, Connie was walking alongside the other two, smiling and holding an over sized plush tiger in her arms. She looked up at Jasper, who was eating an ice cream cone.

"Thank you, Jasper," she said, "I love it."

Jasper smiled, but it came and went as fast as lightning.

"So...did you always know you were going to be a soldier?" Steven asked her.

Jasper nodded her head. "I did. It's something we always know when we're made," she explained, "Made for our Diamonds."

Steven thought about it for a moment. "Was there ever a time when you thought you could so something else?"

"Never." Jasper said, voice hardening a little.

Steven and Connie sought to change the mood a little. Steven gestured to the spinning teacups. "Hey! How about we try those?" he suggested.

Jasper glanced up and tilted her head.

The three sat in the spinning teacups and twirled around and around. Connie and Steven sat together in another one and they watched as Jasper smiled. She seemed...happy now. Relieved. Much lighter than she had ever seemed to be.

Jasper looked around while the teacup ride was spinning. To the various humans who passed them by. She laughed.

Even she had to admit how...nice this felt.

Throughout the rest of the morning, she engaged in ridiculous Earth rituals and felt...better for it. Connie and Steven had even wanted to take pictures with her. Jasper didn't understand the purpose of them, but they all squeezed into a photo-booth.

Every photo was of them making faces. Kevin had stuck his head in the curtain and the photo that was taken next was of Jasper shoving him out with an angry expression on her face. Connie and Steven both cringed in the photo.

Steven was studying the photos as he and Jasper made their way back to the temple. Jasper was walking silently the entire time.

"These are really great, Jasper!" he said. "I'll keep these on my bed to remind us of the fun we had."

They walked into the house and found Pearl in the middle of washing dishes. She smiled brightly when she saw them.

"Ah! You're back!" she said. "Did everyone have fun?"

"Jasper won Connie a tiger, too!" Steven told her. "It was great!"

Pearl gave Jasper an amused smile. "Really?"

"It was no big deal." Jasper muttered, with a shrug.

"Ah. Alright. Steven?" Pearl looked down at him. "Garnet wants us to go on a mission, but she's out on her own right now. There's a matter of a Heartstone we need to find."

"Heartstone?" Steven said, tilting his head.

Connie spoke now. "I probably have to head back too. Mom wants us to go to this special dinner tonight." She turned to Jasper and gave her stuffed animal another squeeze. "Thanks again for the stuffed tiger, Jasper!"

Jasper watched her go. Steven quickly hurried to the warp pad and Jasper turned her attention to Pearl. The gem grinned at her and Jasper raised an eyebrow.

"You had fun, admit it." Pearl teased, affectionately.

Jasper snorted in response. "It was okay, I guess."

O

Jasper, Pearl, Steven and Amethyst found themselves in the forest once more. Or as Pearl referred to it as "The Trail of Hunger".

"The object we're seeking is called 'the Heartstone'." Pearl explained, displaying a heart-shaped image from her gem. "It's believed to be hidden away on the Isle of Cupio."

Amethyst chuckled. "Heh."

"What's so funny?" Pearl asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It sounds like 'pee'." Amethyst joked, with an amused smirk.

Pearl sighed skeptically before continuing. "Well, we have to take extra precautions when we arrive at the Isle of..." She cleared her throat and gave Amethyst a look before continuing. "The island. You see, the Isle itself is believed to be a special place used by gem-kind long ago."

Jasper finished for her. "Gems traveled to the island, looking for answers they couldn't find. It's a construct of Blue Diamond."

Pearl nodded. "Yes, Jasper. What you said." She continued on without consequence. "Blue Diamond had commanded Bismuth's to create the heartstone to act as the core of the island. But somehow it had gained sentience. The island lures any who seek answers to the greatest question of all: What do I want most in life?"

Steven murmured with worry. "How does that work?"

"It's believe that the island sings, Steven."

"How does an island sing?"

"Much like the Sirens of your human stories," Pearl explained. "The Heartstone lures any who dare attempt to face their wildest dreams. But that's just rumor. It's nothing more than an object created by Blue Diamond."

"I've never been to these islands," Jasper said. "But I've heard about them."

"Are they really dangerous?" Steven asked, concerned.

Jasper snorted. "It's nothing I can't handle."

"Now Jasper, remember; while your strength and size is sufficient enough in combat," Pearl reminded her, "We need to exercise a little clarity of thought. You know what the Isle of Cupio is made up of. Once we find the Heartstone, then..."

"I can destroy it MY way." Jasper grinned at the thought.

Pearl chuckled and shook her head. "Yes. YOUR way."

Amethyst chuckled, drawing her whip. "The Quartz sisters got this!"

Upon clearing the passage, they found themselves in what looked like a bountiful garden. Trees had grown higher than Steven had ever seen. Lush, green vegetation sprung out all around them. Fruit was growing from the trees, bushes and clear, crystal water flowed in rivers nearby.

All in all, it looked like the perfect paradise.

Amethyst looked down, spotting a bush that had grown delicious-looking fruit. Somehow, the sight of it looked so tantalizing to her. Her mouth watered and she reached down, plucking one from the bush before sinking her teeth into it.

The others hadn't noticed until she started to chew loudly. They whirled in shock, watching as ribbons of juice trickled down her chin. She met each stare and frowned curiously, shrugging her shoulders.

"What?" she said. "I'm hungry."

"Amethyst! We don't know what..." Steven began, trailing off when he noticed nothing wrong seemed to happen to her.

"You guys got to try this!" Amethyst told them. "I've never tasted food this good before!"

"Amethyst, this is how it starts!" Pearl snapped, snatching a piece of fruit from her hands. "It tries to lure you in with your favorite things!"

Amethyst scowled, indignant. "Ah, rude!"

Steven seemed worried. "We should hurry. This...Heartstone knows we're here by now." Then, he thought about what he had said, frowning. "Does it really...KNOW?"

"The Heartstone is not a living being, Steven." Pearl reminded him. "It thinks it's alive, so it will attempt to preserve itself when we find it. But you have to remember that it's not."

Steven wasn't too sure. Something felt wrong about how Pearl had described the Heartstone. He remembered how the Gems had assumed the same about the mirror that housed Lapis' gem. But maybe he would understand better once he actually encountered it.

"I feel like Garnet should be here," Steven said, as they walked through the trail of vines and roses. "She'll know what to do."

Pearl huffed, a little indignant. "Well, Garnet had a mission to handle herself. I think the four of us can handle the Heartstone on our own."

Amethyst looked at her. "Does it really look like a heart?"

"I don't know. I've never seen one up close."

Amethyst made a face. "I don't want to picture it sitting there pulsing like a human heart." She stuck her tongue out. "Gross."

"Amethyst..."

The four wandered into the forest, watching as shadows danced about unnaturally around them. Pearl ignored it and looked down at Steven.

"It knows we're here. Just remember, Steven; anything it tries to offer isn't real." she reminded him.

Steven nodded his head. "Got it! Not real."

Pearl looked at Amethyst. "Alright, you go with Steven. I'll go with Jasper. We split up and find the Heartstone. If one finds it before the other, then we signal and meet up."

Amethyst scoffed. "How do you want us to do that? Use Tarzan shouts or something?"

Pearl murmured thoughtfully. "Hm, I'm not familiar with that form of vocal communication. But if it gets our attention, by all means."

Steven and Amethyst looked at each other, snickering before they wandered off in one direction. Pearl frowned, confused by their laughter.

"What?" she asked.

O

Jasper and Pearl wandered down a path of statues.

"We should be able to locate the Heartstone at the center of the island," Pearl said. "Though I'm sure Blue Diamond had tricks to keep it protected."

Her leg was suddenly caught in a snare, sending her flying through the air with a yell. Jasper looked up with shock and Pearl hung there, annoyed and embarrassed.

"Please, do not tell me that happened..." she murmured, hand over her face.

Jasper snickered. "It happened."

"Well, I'll handle it." Pearl grumbled, struggling to reach up to her ensnared ankle. With a curse, she drew her spear and sliced through the vine.

She fell, but Jasper caught her in her arms.

Pearl huffed, embarrassed. "Well, we won't be telling anyone about that, will we?"

Jasper chuckled, setting her down.

Immediately, a collection of whispers filled the air and Pearl was suddenly silent. Her usually bright, alert eyes became dull, almost empty.

Jasper looked around, noticing that a fog began to lift upon the island around them. She furrowed her brow, guarded now that she sensed something wrong.

A collection of whispers.

Soft, soothing encouragement.

Her eyes felt heavy. Her body relaxing of every ounce of tension. Immediately, she shook her head, attempting to rid herself of the sensation.

"No!" she hissed, grunting with effort. "I won't listen!"

Meanwhile, Steven and Amethyst wandered on the island, attempting to see through the fog that had crept up around them.

"This fog hit us pretty fast," Amethyst said. She seemed worried. "I don't know. Maybe we should regroup and come back later."

Steven shook his head. "We can find the Heartstone, Amethyst." he told her. "We just have to stick together."

He didn't notice Amethyst freeze where she stood. Her eyes became heavy, pupils dilating. She fell under a trance and began to walk in the opposite direction, all the while Steven continued to talk without noticing that she was no longer walking with him.

When he finally stopped and looked back, he was alone.

"Amethyst?" he called, "Amethyst!"

His call carried through the island and Jasper could faintly make it out. She rushed through the fog, colliding with trees in her path. The whispers filling her head she attempted to rebuke. She grunted, slamming her head against a tree in an effort to block out the sound.

"Shut up..." she hissed, "I won't listen to it!"

The whispers collectively silenced themselves before a single voice filled the air. A familiar one that gave her comfort.

 _"Come. I miss you..."_

Jasper struggled to fight off the sound, but her legs move forward of their own accord. She was led to a grove, her eyes occasionally narrowing and dilating as she fought off the siren's influence.

Then, Jasper's eyes widened in horror.

Kneeling in the grove was Pink Diamond.

The warm, comforting smile on her face made her wither with anguish. Her Diamond. There. Surrounded by flowers. Everything about her the same as she remembered.

She reached out with one hand.

"My sweet, sweet Jasper." she said, in a loving tone, "Come."

Jasper shook her head rapidly, struggling with herself. She grunted, grabbed her face with two hands and attempted to fight off the siren's call. "No, you're not real. You're gone."

A chuckle. "What do you mean, my Jasper? I've been here the whole time, waiting for you." she said. She reached out with two arms open. "Come. Let me comfort you. You've been so alone, haven't you?"

Jasper struggled further. "You're not real..."

But she was walking toward her and when she was close enough, Pink Diamond pulled her into her arms. The touch was loving, gentle. Everything Jasper remembered her to be. Even down to the way she smelled - of roses and morning sunshine.

"You've been so alone," Pink Diamond murmured, placing a gentle kiss on Jasper's head. "But you don't need to be alone anymore. I'm here."

Jasper mumbled, hypnotized by the voice purring in her ear. "Mmmm, yes..." she said, smiling. "I don't have to be alone..."

She rested her head in Pink Diamond's lap and the larger gem chuckled affectionately, lightly petting her with soft, loving hands.

"I won't leave you again."

O

Steven ran through the fog, calling for the others. "Amethyst! Jasper! Pearl!" he cried. "Where are you guys?"

He heard whispers in the air and stopped, looking around for signs of the gems. The whispers continued, insistent, yet nothing affected him the way it did the others. He spotted two shapes standing in the fog and smiled, relieved.

"Amethyst! Pearl!" he said.

The two gems were there, stares vacant. Steven's smile disappeared and he watched in confusion as they fused, forming the towering shape of Opal. The fusion also looked like she was in a trance. She didn't seem to notice Steven at all and wandered deep into the fog. Steven attempted to pursue her.

"Opal! Wait!" he cried.

The whispers continued and it froze Steven where he stood. He looked around, spotting nothing unusual or any potential threat. Whatever was going on, his team mates were being put under a spell as Pearl had warned about.

But not him.

Somehow, he didn't hear the "siren song" that Pearl had mentioned. So that meant it was up to him to find the Heartstone and bubble it to set them free.

He quickly rushed through the fog, still listening to the whispers as they attempted to work the same spell they had with the others. Steven shook his head insistently.

"It's not going to work on me!" he yelled, not sure who he was yelling at.

The voices stopped and an angry scream echoed somewhere from the island, freezing Steven immediately. The sound was chilling, scary.

What if Pearl was wrong?

What if the Heartstone was alive?

Steven made his way further until he reached a clearing in the fog. He found a temple, surrounded by vines and thorns. There were statues depicting images of Blue Diamond as well as murals painted on walls. Gems always seemed fond of painting their history. Much like the Egyptians.

From inside the temple, he could hear soft, sad whispers.

Steven took a deep breath to calm himself. This was it. He was on his own.

Jasper heard a soft moaning.

A plea for help.

She blinked, straightened where she was laying. She had no idea how long she had been there, just laying on her Diamond's lap. Pink Diamond looked surprised by her sudden movement, reaching for her again when she tried to walk away.

"My Jasper, what is it?" she asked.

"I heard something," she said, blinking rapidly. "Someone needs me."

Pink Diamond smiled. "No one needs you, Jasper. No one but me."

Jasper was conflicted by these words. No, not... Something felt wrong about this. She couldn't remember where she was or what she'd been doing. But that voice that pleaded for help... Who was that? Why did it sound familiar.

She felt light-headed and dizzy, struggling to focus on the world around her.

"I have to go." she said.

Pink Diamond suddenly looked uncertain, confused by her refusal to stay. "Wait, don't leave!" she cried. "Stay with me. I can make you happy. You know I can."

Jasper felt her hands on her shoulders and she grimaced, her eyes dancing between dilation and narrowing. She clenched her teeth, struggling internally.

"This isn't right. Something..." she mumbled. "No, you're not her..."

Pink Diamond smiled, giving her another kiss. "I can be if you want me to."

"No. Enough. She's gone. You're not her. I don't need you anymore." Jasper forced every ounce of her strength into retreating from the false image. It was hard, even for a gem of her strength. "I have someone who needs me. Someone I..."

The words felt short. As they always did.

Yes. She DID have someone. Someone who she would not replace with a false image.

Jasper looked over her shoulder, stunned to see the image of Pink Diamond frozen perpetually like a paused hologram. Her form dissipated into sand, falling into a pile at her feet. Jasper backed away, rubbing her eyes with two hands and staring at the spot the image used to occupy. She heard a scream of rage and fear fill the air.

"Pearl..." she gasped, quickly fleeing into the woods.

Jasper was running for a few minutes and she stopped, spotting Opal standing there among the trees. She furrowed her brow, noticing the odd way the fusion looked at her. The deadened stare of a being trapped by the siren's song. Jasper stepped forward.

"Opal?" she said.

She knew of the fusion. She had seen her when the ship she had arrived on Earth in had locked on her; when she had tried to take it down with her deadly arrows.

Opal mumbled, grunting with effort as she moved forward, producing her bow in a flash of light. Her voice croaked out of her with great effort. "Jasper...run..."

Jasper refused to run. She would NEVER run from a fight.

"No." she said, defiant.

Opal lunged forward, delivering kicks and punches. Jasper attempted to dodge and block each one. Opal's movements lacked finesse, as if she were an enormous puppet on strings. Jasper grunted sharply when she was kicked in her midsection. The force sent her flying through several trees, snapping them cleanly from the ground.

Opal stopped advancing. She raised her bow and it produced an arrow of light, aiming directly for Jasper. The gem struggled to stand, dazed by the force of the hit. She winced, watching the arrow of light and the trembling in Opal's hands.

Jasper hissed sharply with effort, standing. She didn't move.

"You won't do it." she bit out. "I know you won't."

Opal's lips tightened. Her blank, deadened stare shimmered with evidence of tears. They began to pour down her cheeks as she struggled to fight the influence of the "song" around them.

 _No...please..._

O

Steven made his way through the hall of the temple where he found the Heartstone sitting on a cushion; it was a shining blue stone that was shaped like that of a heart. He started to approach, but thorns immediately wrapped around the stone.

"Oh geez..." he said. "This is going to be a problem."

Steven inhaled, grabbing the thorns in an effort to work his way toward the stone. He would bubble it and hopefully whatever was going on would disappear. He hissed in pain as several thorns cut into his hands. Drawing blood.

 _Please, don't hurt me._

Steven made an effort to ignore the voice. He grunted, pulling on the vines.

 _They're lying to you. I am alive._

Steven felt himself hesitating at the pleading sounds. And at that moment, vines snapped at him, sending him flying through the air and striking the nearby wall. He lost consciousness almost immediately; the last thing he saw was the Heartstone glowing brightly, vines snapping.

Meanwhile, Jasper had avoided the blast from Opal's arrow. She seized a vine and spun around the fusion, attempting to tie her down and disable her. She stumbled forward, falling flat on her face with a sharp grunt of pain.

Jasper made a triumphant sound, but her victory was short lived as Opal rose, tearing through the vines without difficulty. She swung her leg out, kicking Jasper in the head. The blow sent the gem flying backwards, crashing through several more trees. As Jasper started to stand, Opal's foot pressed down hard on her chest, knocking the wind from her.

Jasper groaned in pain, grasping at the leg that pinned her. Opal produced another arrow and aimed it directly into her face. This one she would certainly not be able to dodge. A blow that close to her gem would shatter her.

Jasper slowly shut her eyes.

 _This is it. I'm going to die._

The arrow was released and the blow was made inches from Jasper's head. She looked over where the blast had hit; close to her hair and enough to singe her face. Jasper looked up at Opal, who struggled internally with herself. Her tears were falling freely now and she backed away, dropping her bow and moaning.

Her four arms tightened their hold around her body. A haunting groan that sounded like a combination of Amethyst and Pearl. Her hands clawed at her face and she struggled to block out the sound in her head. Meeting Jasper's stare, Opal pleaded with her.

"Please... Jasper...go!" she begged. "I can't...control my...body!"

Jasper watched her, sitting up and making a move to advance. Her arms reached out, beseeching. "I can fight if I have to! If it means - "

"Go!" Opal begged, shouting now. "Find Steven!"

Jasper still hesitated.

Opal's hands were moving toward her bow. She clenched her teeth, struggling against the siren's influence. Jasper continued to hesitate before she realized that Opal was right. If she found Steven, maybe she would find the Heartstone and the influence that Opal was put under would end.

She turned and ran.

O

Steven moaned in pain, reaching up to touch his sore head. He felt tender near his ear and came back with a touch of blood. Struggling to stand, Steven approached the Heartstone, finding it constantly whipping with vines and thorns.

Steven watched in shock as the vines wrapped protectively around the Heartstone, forming an almost humanoid, squirming mass that screeched mechanically. It snarled, a human-like face wrapped in vines twisting with fear.

 _Stay away. Stay away._

Jasper emerged in the room, snarling with effort as she pulled her way through vines and thorns. Steven looked back at her, raising his shield.

"Jasper!" he cried. "Where's Pearl and Amethyst?"

Jasper grunted. A vine slapped her face and she seized it, struggling to hold it away as if it were a deadly serpent. "I'm A BIT BUSY AT THE MOMENT!"

Another screech and the two noticed that the humanoid mass of vines had begun moving toward them. It stalked toward Steven, attempting to reach for him.

Jasper struggled through the mass of thorns, grabbing handfulls of them. The sharp thorns sliced through her hands, but she pressed on. Steven could only watch in shock as she seized the Heartstone housed within the humanoid mass.

A scream.

A snarl of effort from Jasper.

 _No, don't!_

The humanoid mass grabbed uselessly at Jasper's arm, struggling to pull her away. Jasper slapped a large hand over its face, pushing back while pulling on the Heartstone. Vines snapped, screams pierced the air and the sounds abruptly silenced when Jasper pulled the Heartstone loose from its housing.

The vines collapsed in a pile at her feet. Jasper formed an orange bubble around it immediately, studying the thing for a moment before she looked down at Steven. He looked star-struck and Jasper flushed a little at the stare.

"What?" she snapped. "Don't look at me like that."

Steven grinned, his shield disappearing before he hugged Jasper's leg. "That was so amazing!" he exclaimed, "You saved me!"

Jasper nodded, sending the Heartstone on its way. She looked down at him, picking him up with ease to study the damages he had received from the thorns.

"Hm, you look damaged, but you'll survive." she replied, tartly.

Steven laughed when she sat him down. Then, he looked back anxiously. "Wait, where's Pearl and Amethyst?" he exclaimed.

Jasper and Steven both quickly rushed from the temple, stepping outside into sunlight. The lush gardens had all but been reduced to nothing more than decay. The trees were bare, devoid of leaves. There were no fruit trees blossoming, the rivers and streams had dried up and no fog had settled over the island.

Everything looked dead.

"Let's go." Jasper ordered.

The two ran through the dead forest; Steven had trouble keeping up with Jasper, so the gem picked him up with ease, hoisting him onto her shoulders. They looked around for signs of the other gems before finding Opal lying on her side.

"Opal!" Steven cried.

It took a few moments before Opal groaned, opening her eyes. She sat up, unfused into Amethyst and Pearl; both gems rubbed their heads and shook the last vestiges of the sound from them.

"Steven?" Pearl said, refusing to look at Jasper. "Did you get the stone?"

Steven shook his head. "Jasper did!" he told her.

Pearl and Amethyst looked rather ashamed by themselves.

"We were still aware of what we were doing," Pearl said, quietly. She looked up at Jasper. "Oh, stars. We knew what we did. But we couldn't - "

Jasper shook her head. "Don't worry about it." she interrupted. "That thing's gone now."

Steven looked concerned. "What happened?"

Amethyst looked away. "The Heartstone got into our heads. Made us form Opal and we almost shattered Jasper."

Steven gasped, covering his mouth with two hands.

"Let's just go home..." Pearl said, quietly.

O

Jasper didn't understand the reason behind the silence.

Pearl had refused to leave her room for the better part of the next day. She paced anxiously around the door, hoping that Pearl would leave and talk with her. Amethyst was no better. She spent her part of the day just wandering around on the beach in silence.

"Jasper, you're going to pit the floor." Garnet said, interrupting her gait.

Jasper looked toward the fusion, noticing that she was preparing something in the kitchen. She sighed impatiently and sat down on the floor.

"I don't understand what she's so upset about," she groused. "She didn't shatter me. She was under the influence of the Heartstone. It's not her fault."

Garnet shook her head. "Pearl doesn't see it that way."

"Well hiding in her room doesn't help!"

Garnet nodded. She walked up to the door and gave it a knock. "Pearl. Come out and talk to Jasper before she put a hole in the floor."

No response.

Jasper groaned, throwing her arms in the air. "Ugh! What's the PROBLEM?"

She stormed away in a huff.

Garnet gestured with one hand. "I know another way. Come on."

Jasper sighed impatiently and followed her into her room. Garnet showed her a path to the other temple rooms via the same trail that Steven had taken when he wanted to have Together Breakfast. Jasper used that same path to make her way to Pearl's room.

She found the gem sitting where she often did when she was meditating. Jasper grunted, scaling up the length of piping before she fell, falling behind Pearl with a loud, thunderous crash and curse. Pearl jumped, startled by the noise.

"Jasper?" she exclaimed, whirling. "How did you...?"

She looked up, spotting Garnet suspended nearby. The fusion flashed her a thumbs up and Pearl huffed with dismay.

"Is no place sacred in this temple?" she growled.

Jasper straightened, sitting up and frowning. "Why are you hiding in your room? I don't understand why you're upset."

Pearl sighed, sitting beside her. "Jasper, don't you see? I almost shattered you. You could have been killed, because of me."

Jasper didn't get it. "But you DIDN'T."

"I COULD HAVE."

"BUT YOU DIDN'T."

Pearl opened her mouth to argue. She furrowed her brow, not quite sure why Jasper was taking it so well. The thought of killing her sent shudders down her back. She had felt herself losing control to the siren's call of the island. It was her fault. She should have taken extra care. And she hadn't.

Jasper chuckled. "I'm made of stronger stuff than most gems." she reminded her. "None of your attacks even so much as grazed me."

She laughed, but stopped when she noticed Pearl wasn't laughing. Or smiling. She was serious. The thought of what had happened clearly upset her.

"I won't hurt someone else I love..." Pearl told her. She shut her eyes, lowering her head. "...again."

Jasper sighed, moving closer to her. Pearl made a surprised sound when Jasper put her arms around her, pulling her into her lap.

"Listen," she said, evenly. The roles were reversed and Jasper sounded so sure of herself this time. "I don't care about the 'what-could-have-happened'. I'm only worried about the now."

Pearl raised an eyebrow. She smirked a little. "Who are you and what have you done with Jasper?" she said, laughing.

Jasper made a mocking grin of insult. "No, I'm serious. While I was out there, that thing tried to use me too. With a false image of my Diamond."

Pearl's eyes widened. "What?"

"Yeah. And I realized something," Jasper's features flushed a little. She struggled to attempt to find the right words. "I have you and... you know... feelings and..." She growled, looking away when Pearl started at her affectionately. "Ugh. You know what I'm trying to say."

Pearl laughed and nodded, wrapping her arms around her shoulders. "So, are you saying that you love me too?"

Jasper huffed indignantly. "Whatever..."

Pearl laughed, giving her a little kiss on her cheek. "Honestly." she said, shaking her head.

Jasper rolled her eyes. Then, she smiled, somehow proud of herself. "That thing couldn't control me. I was able to walk away."

"Was it hard?"

"Very."

Pearl smiled, leaning against her chest and relaxing under the warmth of her powerful form. She opened her eyes slightly, staring down at the scarred patches on Jasper's arm. Her fingers lightly rubbed it, recollecting how far they'd come together.

"I'm honored that I was on your mind." she said.

Jasper chuckled. "I couldn't get you out of my head if I wanted to."

Jasper raised an eyebrow at her. Pearl imitated the expression. Then, both of them giggled a bit, their faces flushed.

"Be quiet!" Jasper laughed, splashing her with water.

Pearl squealed and splashed her back. "Oh, you!"

Their laughter carried through the temple to Garnet's room.

She actually smiled.


	12. Chapter Twelve: Dark Times Ahead

_Note_ \- I saw the reveal of White Diamond. I'm still not changing anything. Just a few things perhaps, but my story's plot will ultimately remain the same.

 **Dovahkiin795** \- Just a few chapters since I didn't want to change the general start of it. And Spinel will be back. I have to build up to it.

~O~

 **Chapter Twelve: Dark Times Ahead**

"The horror! The terror! Protect yourself against the menace that threatens Beach City!"

The voice of Ronaldo filled the air that morning and Jasper was trying to eat her pancakes in peace. She noticed the human on the front porch, waving a pamphlet at Steven. Sighing impatiently, she stood up and walked outside, only to find Steven in the middle of a disagreement with him.

"...I get that part. I'm talking about all this mean stuff you're saying about the Crystal Gems!" he said.

Ronaldo shook his head. "No-no-no. Crystal Gems aren't Rock People. Crystal Gems fight Rock People. See my documentary Rising Tides, Crashing Skies."

Steven sighed. "Crystal Gems don't just fight Rock People. We are Rock People! Also, don't say 'Rock People'. It's offensive."

Jasper looked at the human with dismay. "What is this human doing?" she snapped.

Ronaldo turned to her and his eyes lit up. "Oh! Here!" He held up one of his pamphlets that Jasper refused to take. He laughed sheepishly and tucked it in his arm. "Okay. well, technically, it's an infozine pamphlet, but I've been calling them 'Ronalphlets'."

Jasper looked down at Steven. "Are all the humans you know this annoying?"

Steven held up two hands. "Jasper, it's okay. Ronaldo just made a mistake, that's all."

"A mistake. This human looks more like a mistake," Jasper snapped, turning to go back into the house, "Don't waste your time reading his drivel."

She walked back inside and slammed the door behind her. Ronaldo looked stunned to silence and Steven shook his head before trying to smile.

"Sorry. She's...new to the family," he told him.

Later that day, Pearl exited her room and found Amethyst playing with a gyro magnet. Jasper sat beside her and watched with rapt attentiveness. Her head occasionally moved back and forth as she followed the movements of the toy.

"It's going to fall." she said.

Amethyst shook her head. "It's not going to fall."

"It's going to fall."

"No, it's not, Jasper. I promise."

"Jasper?" Pearl said, practically beaming with excitement. "Are you busy at the moment?"

Jasper was focused intently on the gyro toy. "No, not real..." She sighed impatiently at the thing. "It's going to fall! I swear it is!"

"Jasper, I'd like for you to come with me." Pearl told her, "I have a surprise."

Immediately, Jasper looked interested. She straightened and stood up. "Surprise?"

"Yes, Garnet suggested I wait until later tonight, but ooh, I'm too excited to wait!"

She giggled and danced in her spot. Jasper smiled a little, curious by what it was she was planning. So she shrugged and followed Pearl to the warp pad. Pearl brightened and pulled a small cloth from her gem.

"I want you to keep your eyes covered." she said. "Trust me!"

Jasper glanced skeptically at Amethyst, who shrugged their shoulders. Pearl looked so excited, so she decided to go along with it.

She took the cloth and wrapped it around her eyes. "Alright, now what?"

"You'll see!" Pearl said, eager.

The warp pad activated, sending them on their way.

O

Garnet had been waiting for the two gems to arrive. She was leaning on a doorway that had been partially submerged in earth. Statues around her were destroyed and only one particular statue stood with its face carved in the image of Pink Diamond.

She looked up at the sound of warp pad activity nearby and could hear Pearl and Jasper talking with each other.

"Can I look now?"

"Not yet. We're almost there."

Garnet smiled when she sat Pearl leading Jasper on with one hand in hers. They entered the doorway, stepping into a chamber filled with rows upon rows of books. Towers of shelves filled with tomes and documents that could have ever existed in history. It was dimly lit by a string of torches lining the walls.

"Well, I hear echoing, so I know we're not outside anymore." Jasper quipped, curling her lips. "This better not be a trick."

"It's not, I promise." Pearl assured her.

She stopped and gently started to remove Jasper's blind fold. "Okay, you can look now."

Jasper blinked a little, looking around the room. Immediately, her features smoothed out in shock. She paced around the room, as if she was a child reliving a long-forgotten place.

"I...I can't believe it!" she exclaimed. "Is this really...?"

Pearl grinned happily, nodding and clapping her hands in self-applause. "Yes! Garnet found this place after her mission and we've spent the better part of the weekend cleaning it out for you!"

It certainly showed. Pearl's attention to cleanliness was obvious in the way the books had been neatly organized and how the dust had been swept clean from every inch of the room. Jasper couldn't believe what she was seeing.

This was Pink Diamond's personal library.

"I - I thought this place had been destroyed." she gasped, awestruck.

She began to quickly search the entire library, all the while Pearl and Garnet watched her. She scaled up ladders, jumped over cracks in the floor and chattered excitedly the entire time. Pearl smiled at Garnet and the fusion returned the smile.

"This is all where it should be!" Jasper was heard behind a shelf of books. "I cannot believe you actually found - It's really here!"

"Well, I'm glad to see you happy, Jasper." Pearl told her.

Jasper hadn't been listening. She sat down and started to read one of the books. She remembered when Pink Diamond could be found here, enjoying various gem literature. Not only did gems write their most important history on the walls, Pink Diamond kept fascinating tales and stories in a library of her own.

It had been a gift from White Diamond, which was strange as White Diamond had never been one for such things. Jasper had known about what happened when she watched security footage of her Diamond whenever she missed her terribly.

 _"I trust this offering is suitable, for you, Pink."_

 _Pink Diamond was delighted with the rows of books. She picked one up and paged through it before quickly embracing White around her arm as she was was much taller than Pink._

 _"Thank you!" she exclaimed. "I love it!"_

 _White did not react to the embrace. Pink immediately pulled away, lowering her head with embarrassment. She cleared her throat and crossed her hands in front of her._

 _White nodded her head. "It is customary for all members of the Diamond Authority to extend the arrival of a new Diamond a gift. This library had been a place for me to contemplate. I am certain it will do the same for you."_

Later, Pearl was reading a story to Jasper, emphasizing the tale with thrusts of her spear, dramatic poses and silly voices. Jasper just smiled as she watched her.

She was happy.

O

Steven was excited to see the library, so Jasper took him there.

"Wow! So this was Pink Diamond's library?" he exclaimed, amazed.

Jasper smiled a little. "Yeah. Most gems never even had the chance to see this place up close," she explained, "But Pink Diamond wanted to share it with everyone, even when the other Diamonds didn't allow it."

"Oh." Steven looked confused. "What do you mean 'the other Diamonds didn't allow it'?"

Jasper's smile disappeared somewhat. "I don't know. I only heard stories and what I looked at here when I paid this library a visit in the past."

"Hm." Steven looked troubled. "So...any good stories to check up on?"

Jasper snapped out of her reverie. She looked around. "Uh, yeah. Yeah, there's a few up there." She pointed to the upper floor.

Steven made his way to the upper floor and passed rows of old architecture and scrolls before he noticed an odd-shaped lens. He frowned curiously, raised his hand to it and it immediately lit up with white. Jasper looked up at him, startled by the sight.

"What did you touch?" she demanded.

"I don't know!" Steven cried, backing away from the lens.

It began to project a beam of light at the center of the floor. Immediately, a hologram of Pink Diamond appeared, seemingly in distress. Jasper was frozen, watching the image. Steven jumped down to her side and he couldn't tear his eyes away.

"Pink Diamond?" he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I've never seen this one," Jasper said, quietly. Her eyes brimmed and she reached up to touch the image. "She looks like she's upset."

The hologram began to speak. She seemed to be talking to someone else, but the image didn't reveal who it was. She was pacing.

" _You would leave me the moment you had the chance..."_

Steven furrowed his brow. "She's arguing with someone." he said. "But who?"

Jasper didn't answer. Her eyes were frozen to the hologram.

Pink's hologram laughed with a mixture of bitterness and sorrow. _"You find it as dull as I do, don't even pretend like you don't!"_ A pause and her eyes widened, filled with tears. _"Do you know what the other two told me? What you wanted?"_ Again, a pause. She laughed angrily. _"You wanted to let me go. 'Let her go'. 'Let her grow without me'."_

The sight of Pink in such emotional distress tugged at the hearts of the two watching. Jasper's eyes brimmed and she swallowed thickly. She wanted to end this, but a part of her had to know who had upset her Diamond. Who had done such a thing?

Pink's hologram seemed to be listening to the other gem she spoke to and she gave a horrible choke of despair. _"Is that really what you want? To let me go?"_ A pause and she looked angry now. _"STOP. LYING TO ME! That's all the three of you have done!"_ Another pause. _"Yes, you have!"_

It was maddening wondering who had upset Pink so much.

Pink sighed, rubbed her eyes and laughed coldly. _"I'm dear to you? Oh please. You don't understand what love is. You've NEVER understood! That is why you leave! Now, you have many companions and if I'm to be alone, you will make me mine!"_ Another pause and she snarled tearfully. _"BECAUSE I CANNOT! YOU SAW TO THAT WHEN YOU MADE ME! And I shall suffer for it no longer!"_

Steven felt his chest tighten at the sight. What did Pink Diamond mean?

" _That's not fair? You don't get to tell me what is and isn't fair! You make and bend the rules as you see fit! I haven't tears enough for what you've done to me! You give her to me! Give one bit of yourself to me before you leave!"_

Finally the hologram of Pink wept in her hands. Jasper lowered her eyes, trying to contain her tears and Steven looked confused and heartbroken. He looked up at Jasper and put a hand on hers. She blinked, surprised by the contact and looked down at him now.

Static filtered through the hologram before it completely cut out.

That evening, Steven and the others tried to make sense of what had been seen in the library. Jasper had been oddly quiet about the whole thing.

"It's likely Pink was arguing with one of the other Diamonds," Pearl explained, "They don't seem to get along at the worst of times."

Steven shook his head. "Yeah, but this feels different. I don't know."

Jasper scratched at the green splotches on her arms. She shut her eyes, hearing the sounds of Pink Diamonds sorrowful noises still in her head.

O

Connie and Steven were waiting for Pearl and Jasper at the Sky Arena that following morning. They both brightened when they saw them arrive.

"Alright, you two," Pearl said, "Jasper agreed to help with fusion training today."

Steven looked at Jasper with a grin. "Really?"

Jasper chuckled. "Really. And don't think I'll pull any punches, either."

Pearl extended her hand. "Shall we?"

Jasper smiled and took it. Connie and Steven watched as the two gems disappeared in clouds of light, replaced by the large form of Carnelian. The gem fusion smiled down at the two children.

"Alright. Form Stevonnie and show me what you're made of." she said.

Steven and Connie did just that; they performed a little dance, holding both hands together. Their forms disappeared in the same fashion as Pearl and Jasper; Carnelian took a few steps back, watching as Stevonnie appeared.

"Nice to meet you again, Carnelian," they said.

Carnelian chuckled. "Yes, well... Hopefully this introduction will be less unpleasant as it had been before when we fell." she replied.

Stevonnie smiled in return. Then, they straightened. "So, what are we training today?"

Carnelian inhaled, held it and exhaled slowly. "Well, as it is, we are both in need of focus during fusion," she said, walking across the arena. Her four legs moved as if she were gliding on water. "So I thought we could practice together. A sparring session, if you will."

Stevonnie nodded and retrieved Rose's sword that had been lying next to a duffel bag. The shield was produced on their arm.

"Alright, let's dance!" Stevonnie said, smiling.

The entire afternoon was spent training; Carnelian conjuring up a spear that collided with Stevonnie's sword. The training was more methodical than what they were used to. Pearl and Jasper must have been applying both of their fighting skills in the equation.

"No, no," Carnelian chided, furrowed her brow. "That stance is clumsy in battle! I told you this before." Her voice carried the sing-song tone that Pearl was known for. "Keep your stance wide, keep your body lowered..."

Stevonnie sighed. "Sorry. I guess Steven's just thinking about what he heard last night."

Carnelian's features smoothed out. "I know. So am I."

"It's just, we've never had this feeling before." Stevonnie continued, worry lighting their face. "This is different. We know it is."

Carnelian nodded. "Garnet's going to continue the search. Training is important. We've told you this." she said. "Now, let's continue."

So the training resumed for the rest of the afternoon.

O

Jasper was lying on her back in front of the fireplace that evening. Pearl laid beside her.

"You've been quiet tonight," Pearl told her.

Jasper sighed quietly. "I'm thinking."

"Think with me. There's no reason to hide."

Jasper glanced at her for a moment, then cast her stare to the ceiling again.

 _A flash._

 _The clear, bright clouds above were replaced with dark, gray storms. Rain pouring down on her from her memories in the battlefield._

 _Jasper charged through the scorched earth, shouting out the call for war while she rode on the back of a gem beast in battle armor. Her soldiers behind her echoed her cry and followed._

 _Crystal Gems were cut down in the paths of the weapons from Homeworld warriors._

 _It was a symphony of death and destruction._

 _The screams of gems as they fell from battle. Their forms flickering from damage. The wide, unseeing stares of horror and agony all around._

 _An arrow made up of pure light sailed through the air, whipping passed warring gems before it was caught by Jasper's waiting hand. She looked up, just in time to see a gem standing among the chaos, armed with a bow._

 _Jasper smirked coldly, stepping down from her gem beast. She started to walk forward before breaking out into a full sprint toward the gem._

 _It was a glorious chase that felt like it went slowly._

"I won't forget it."

Pearl looked toward Jasper, watching how her features darkened. She was thinking about it again, considering the past. She knew Jasper had been thinking of war and how she had drifted back into that dark place.

"I won't forget what she's done to my Diamond." Jasper said, with finality.

"I know you won't," Pearl said, with a sigh.

She gently rested her hand on Jasper's and the larger gem looked down, almost confused by the gesture. She seemed to tolerate it more than enjoy it. After a few moments, she pulled away with a snort and sat up, turning from Pearl.

"You're touch confuses me!" she snapped.

"Why?" Pearl asked, troubled by the change. "It's what gems who share feelings do."

Jasper's lips curled in a sneer. "Really."

"Yes. Really. I trust that what we shared wasn't all for nothing."

It was strange watching Jasper struggle internally with herself. She had been so sure of what they had shared together; seemed so willing, albeit uncertain all the same. Maybe she was having second thoughts. It made Pearl feel a little sickened by the possibility. But instead, she simply reached out and placed two hands on Jasper's shoulders.

"Jasper, if you're afraid - "

"I'm not afraid. What can I possibly be afraid of?" Jasper looked insulted.

"Of me."

A sneer and a show of teeth. "I'm not afraid of you."

"No, you're not afraid of a pearl," Pearl said, with a sigh and a saddened stare, "You're afraid that this pearl will be just like the others, aren't you? That I might leave."

Jasper said nothing, which proved Pearl's assumptions to be correct. She didn't blame Jasper for having doubts or for struggling with herself. It had all moved so quickly.

"Why did you side with her?" Jasper suddenly asked.

Pearl frowned and looked at Jasper curiously. "Who? Do you mean Rose?"

"Yeah."

Pearl smiled and leaned her head against Jasper's shoulders. "She was wonderful," she said, "She showed me an entire world of possibilities. Of what we could be. Of what I could be."

Jasper made a non-comittal sound.

"I understand what Rose had to do, to make gems realize what it means to be free - "

"And what if there are gems who don't want freedom?" Jasper interrupted, frowning. "What if they're perfectly content with where they are?"

Pearl had no answer.

A sigh left Jasper's lips. She looked down at her scarred arm. "I wish I could do something about this..."

Pearl moved so that she could sit beside her and placed a hand over hers. Touched it without a grimace of disgust or a hesitance in her stare.

"I have nothing. Nothing left." Jasper said, quietly.

Pearl lowered her head and Pearl leaned against her shoulder. "You have me."

Jasper glanced down at her briefly, but sighed and closed her eyes.

 _"You have me."_


	13. Chapter Thirteen: Sins of the Mother

~O~

 **Chapter Thirteen: Sins of the Mother**

Steven sprinted toward the mailbox that morning.

"Hey Mister Postman, bring me a post! Bring me the post that I love the most!"

He leaned down to peer into the mailbox, but there was no mail to be seen. He frowned, rubbed his chin and looked around, but didn't see Barbara anywhere.

It was odd.

Amethyst walked up to him. "No package yet?"

"No. Not yet." Steven told her, disappointed, "I definitely ordered a pair of khakis from 'The Distinguished Boy'. They should have arrived by now." He gestured to himself. "I'm a distinguished boy, Amethyst. Don't I deserve some distinguished khakis?"

"Hey, you shouldn't have to waste your whole day for something in the mail." Amethyst pointed out. "Jasper's going to see that pearl fusion and Pearl's meditating. Or...something. Maybe go down at the Big Donut and get us all some donuts!"

Steven nodded. "Okay. Good idea. But, you'd still wait for Jamie while I got us some donuts?"

"Sure. Why not? I'll hold down the fort while you're gone." Amethyst offered.

"Thanks Amethyst." Steven said, smiling and rushing off to the Big Donut.

Meanwhile, Jasper was sitting across from the pearl fusion, talking with her about her involvement with Pearl and how she'd felt so lost lately with her decisions.

"I don't get it." she said, with a gruff snort. "I'm supposed to fight them. I'm supposed to hate them."

The pearl fusion chuckled gently. "We know our dear fellow pearl," she told her, "She would not debase a sacred act of love with anyone. Perhaps you two were drawn together to heal together."

Jasper frowned thoughtfully. "Heal?"

"Oh yes. Did you think Pearl would be without suffering? Without grief?" the fusion queried, her arms folded in her lap, "My lost Jasper, she has seen more sorrows than most of us. She has given up so much. So when she knows what you suffer, believe in what she says. Well, little sense in timidity now."

Jasper thought about it. Pearl had been lost and defective when she'd seen her. But in knowing her more, Jasper would easily take back many assumptions she had.

"I don't know..." she said, with a sigh. "What if...what if she's like the rest?"

The fused pearl gave a quiet gasp. Then, she sighed heavily through her nose. "We believed the same about all of the pearls that make up our experience," she explained, "Time heals, lost Jasper. Love heals. You must first find yourself worthy of it."

"How? How do I feel the way I should when..." Jasper didn't finish. She didn't know what else to say.

The pearl fusion sighed gently. She looked beyond Jasper and noticed the sun had started setting and her multiple limbs twitched somewhat. "Well, best not tarry long, lost one. The sun is setting. They will worry for you, as will she. You may speak with me later if you so wish."

Jasper nodded her head. She hadn't really known what brought her to the fusion. Maybe a small part of her felt a connection with the fusion after all.

But she decided to return to the others.

O

Steven was panicking when Jasper returned. She looked confused and glanced at Pearl, who sat on the couch with the others. They all looked up at her when she entered.

"What's going on?" Jasper asked, suddenly guarded by the change in atmosphere.

"This is an emergency!" Steven cried, "My friends were taken by two Homeworld gems!"

Jasper looked shocked by this news and Pearl glanced at her briefly before frowning. "Why is Homeworld stealing humans from the boardwalk?"

Steven was pacing now. "I don't know, but they're only taking my friends! They even got Connie! If we don't do something, they're going to take them into space!"

Amethyst made a face. "And our spaceship got jacked, so if they leave Earth..."

"They'll be gone for good." Garnet finished.

Jasper scoffed. "What would they want with humans?"

Pearl looked at her now, curious. "You wouldn't know? At all?"

"No! I was busy being put in a bubble!"

Amethyst held up two hands. "Whoa, okay. Let's all relax and figure out who the gems even are," she pointed out, "Then we can find them."

Steven sat down between Pearl and Amethyst.

"That little gem I saw before, her name's Aquamarine," he explained, making gestures as he spoke. "She's got a big friend - a fusion, named Topaz."

Pearl and Jasper's eyes widened in surprise.

"A topaz fusion and an aquamarine?" they said, together.

Amethyst tilted her head at their tones. "Are they a big deal?"

"Uh, yes!" Pearl insisted. "If they're here on Earth, Blue and Yellow Diamond must have sent them personally. But it still doesn't explain why they're grabbing only your friends."

Steven made a face. "Maybe...because my friends are the best!"

Jasper rolled her eyes. Seeing a few of Steven's friends proved otherwise to her. Still, it immediately put her on guard; she was here with them when Homeworld was on Earth. What did that mean for her? For the first time, Jasper looked at Pearl and didn't know.

Just then, Steven's cellphone ringing snapped her out of her daze. He looked down at it and gasped. "It's from Connie! I know where they are!"

O

Here they were back at Funland.

Jasper was on edge as they searched the dark, silent boardwalk for Steven's human friends. She didn't know what to expect from this situation. A part of her also screamed at the insanity of it all; why was she even here? What did she hope to gain?

 _What are you doing?_

"Stay alert. They could be anywhere." Garnet told them.

Amethyst looked down at Steven. "Did Connie send you any more pictures?"

Steven stared at his phone worriedly. "No, nothing."

Pearl looked up at Jasper. "We know they're here somewhere." she said, more to Jasper than to the others. She was troubled by the look on Jasper's face. "We will help them, won't we? They're just humans. Homeworld has no use for humans."

Jasper grunted, gaze tearing away. She didn't know.

 _No, don't look at me like that._

 _I found happiness in them, but..._

Steven peered into a booth. "Connie? Lars? Sadie? Onion?" he called. He sighed, leaning against the counter with worry. "Why them?"

Another ring of a cellphone and Steven looked down, only to notice it wasn't his phone. Jasper and the others looked rapidly around for the source of the noise. They produced their weapons.

"W-Was that Connie's pho - " Pearl began.

The sound of heavy footsteps approaching turned their attention to two gems peering at them around the corner. One tiny blue Aquamarine and one large Topaz fusion. Jasper's eyes widened; she had seen these two gems before during her time at Yellow Diamond's meetings.

Aquamarine grinned playfully. "Oh, no!" she said, in a singsong voice, "You found us."

Topaz stepped from around the corner, revealing several humans and familiar faces trapped within her form. Jasper blinked, shocked by the sight and a little disgusted. What were they doing?

Lars had one arm free. "Help!" he cried.

Steven pointed at the two gems angrily. "Give it up, Aquamarine! There's nowhere to run!"

Aquamarine laughed and put a hand on her hip. "Oh, what's this, now? Did you think we were running away?" she asked, with another laugh.

She frowned thoughtfully and looked at Topaz. "Huh. You know, now that I think about it, this Steven does seem to know everyone on our list. The list did come from a Steven, after all." She smiled at him now. "Maybe you can help us out. We just need 'my dad'."

Garnet scowled. "Just let the humans go!"

Aquamarine looked bored now. "Uh, no." She looked at Topaz again. "Who are these dullards?"

"We're the Crystal Gems, you chump!" Amethyst declared, clutching her whip tightly.

Aquamarine waved her away with another bored sigh. "Yeah, yeah. Rose Quartz's old lackeys. That was in the report, too. We're not here for any of you rogue gems." she said.

"What are you talking about?" Jasper growled.

Aquamarine counted on her fingers. "Let's see. Yellow Diamond asked for, uh, my dad, a Connie, a Lars, a Sadie, a mailman, and an Onion, I think." She gestured to the humans trapped in Topaz's form. "Six human variations specified in a report by Peridot 5XG."

Steven gasped, his eyes widening. He remembered how he'd talked with Peridot for the first time in the Kindergarten control room.

"The list. I gave them the list." he gasped.

Pearl and the others stared at him.

"What are you talking about?" Pearl asked.

"Aquamarine doesn't have a dad. She's looking for someone named "my dad!"!" Steven told her. He groaned, rubbing his face with one hand. "This is all my fault."

Garnet raised her gauntlet fists. "Don't worry about that now. Our objective's still the same - beat the gems..."

Steven produced his shield. "Save our friends!"

Aquamarine laughed and looked down at the other gem. "Hey, Topaz, look! They want to lose another fight." she said, grinning wickedly.

Garnet charged first. Jasper was frozen, not sure what to do. She watched the other gems and Steven attempt to fight Topaz and Aquamarine. She wanted to fight. She wanted to do what she was made to do.

But she was stuck.

Her hands shook, her eyes widened and she gave several trembling gasps. Pearl tried calling Jasper for help, but she was thrown into the sky by Aquamarine's ribbon wand.

Jasper snapped out of her trance and looked up, holding her arms out to catch Pearl as she fell from the sky. When she caught her, Pearl looked at Jasper desperately.

"Jasper, we need your help!" she insisted, "Please..."

Aquamarine sighed and hovered over Topaz's shoulder. "This is getting annoying." she said. She looked at the other gem. "Hey, Topaz, can you remind me? I mean, my memory is perfect, but our orders were to bring back these six humans. I'm just not sure. Did they specify... alive?"

When the others looked horrified, Aquamarine grinned and laughed gleefully, clapping her hands. "You know, I don't think they did!"

In Aquamarine's response, Topaz seized Lars by his head in one thick hand and he whimpered in pain. Jasper's eyes widened and she snarled.

"You really think you're a warrior squashing a stupid, worthless human?" she spat, drawing the attention of the others. They looked stunned by her abrupt outburst.

Aquamarine waved her off. "Yes, yes, we get it. You Jasper's and your ridiculous code of honor. But we are not Jasper's and we have a job to do." She looked at Steven now, smiling. "I just think, if you care about your friends or whatever, you should tell me where my dad is, all right?"

Steven watched as Topaz clutched Lars' head a little harder now. "Stop! I know where you can find my dad!" he told her, raising two hands.

Aquamarine brightened. "Ooh! Where? Where?!"

Steven gestured to himself. "Right here. I'm the one you're looking for. I am my dad!"

The others stared at him in disbelief. It certainly distracted Jasper from her conflicted thoughts. Aquamarine didn't look convinced by this. She glanced at the other gem.

"I know what you're thinking, Topaz. It seems a little suspicious that my dad is also a Steven." she said. She sighed and waved one hand. "But you know... if it means getting out of here, I'll believe it."

Before anyone could do anything, Topaz separated into two, charged for Steven and grasped him in two arms. Everyone cried out in shock as he was fazed into the gem when she fused once again.

"Steven!" Pearl shouted. "Do you know what you're doing?"

Steven squirmed and struggled to be free of Topaz.

"Very nice meeting you all, and your compliance is appreciated, but..." Aquamarine said. "our job here is done, so." She blew them a rasberry and looked at Topaz. "Let's get back to Homeworld already."

"Wait!" Jasper suddenly said, "You can't take those humans."

Aquamarine and Topaz stared at her; the blue gem looked bored, but the others looked stunned by Jasper's words. Needless to say, Jasper herself didn't know what she was doing.

"And why not?" Aquamarine drawled, raising an eyebrow. "Who's going to stop us? You?"

She raised her wand and a beam of light took hold of Jasper. Giggling, she twirled the wand and sent Jasper sailing through the air; she yelled the entire trek and Pearl quickly hurried to her side when she landed right through the roof of a ring toss booth.

Aquamarine sighed, disgusted. "Ugh. If I never get sent on another mission to Earth, it'll be too soon. What an ordeal. But the Diamonds needed me. That's the burden of being the best."

Jasper snarled with effort, helmet appearing on her head once again. She charged for them once more, footsteps thundering loudly.

"Jasper, wait!" Pearl cried.

Aquamarine just disposed of her the same way as before and Steven watched Jasper try to charge again. He shook his head desperately.

"Jasper, stop! I almost got it!" he cried.

Above them, the shape of a ship hovered. Jasper grunted, rising to her feet. Topaz walked toward it, but Steven's pink bubble began to form. Topaz's eyes widened and her body swelled before she was forced to dispel into two, scattering the humans all over the ground.

Aquamarine whirled, gesturing to the fleeing humans. "What? Topaz!" She pointed to one. "Get this mess cleaned up." She gestured to the others. "And, Topaz, help her out. I'm setting a course."

The two Topaz's charged for the humans, but they scattered to avoid her. The ship began to lift off, taking the humans and Steven with it.

"STEVEN!" Pearl shouted, desperately.

The ship drifted over the ocean and Aquamarine looked over her shoulder at the fighting going on between Steven, the other humans and Topaz.

"I'd really appreciate you wrapping it up down there before we exit the atmosphere!" she snapped.

Sadie helped Lars to his feet. "Come on! Lars, you gotta get up! We gotta move!" she shouted.

Connie and Steven stood back-to-back, holding the shield and struggling against Topaz.

"Connie, I'm sorry!" Steven grunted.

Connie looked at him. "What are you talking about?!" she cried.

"It's my fault you were abducted...why everyone was taken. If it weren't for me, the diamonds wouldn't have come for my friends," Steven shouted, grunting with effort. "If it weren't for my mom, they wouldn't even be trying to destroy the Earth!"

"Steven, focus!"

There was a loud banging sound that jolted the entire ship. Everyone inside looked around, stunned. Aquamarine looked down at the controls and red error signs in Gem flashed.

"What now?" she cried, angrily.

Steven looked at Connie. "The door."

The two ran for the door and Steven opened it. They were greeted with a rush of air and the face of Carnelian staring in at them. The fusion snarled with effort and had been holding down the ship with two hands. Garnet and Amethyst had also fused into Sugilite and held the other side down.

"You're NOT TAKING THEM!" Carnelian's low, almost animal snarl was different than it had usually been. It was laced with a strange desperation that looked oddly like Jasper.

"Jump!" Steven yelled, to the others.

Everyone jumped, not willing to deal with Topaz any further; one by one, they landed in the water. Connie and Steven were the last two to jump, but just as Connie jumped, Steven was pinned down by Topaz's fists.

Steven winced and struggled against her. Aquamarine scowled, raising her wand and placing the same aura around both fusions, freezing them in their place.

"Nice try. But it's hopeless, my dad. I can't go back to Homeworld without getting what the Diamonds want." she said, hovering over him now. "How much longer is this mission going to take?"

Steven looked down at the humans, then to the fusions before he looked back up at her. "Well, I can end it for you right now."

Aquamarine scowled impatiently. "Oh, really?"

She gestured for Topaz to release him and he stood up, gesturing to himself. "I'm someone the Diamonds will want more than any of these humans - the leader of the Crystal Gem rebellion - the gem that shattered Pink Diamond. I'm not my dad. I'm my mom. I'm Rose Quartz!"

Aquamarine gasped in amazement. "No way."

Immediately, she released her control over the fusions and the gems that made them up unfused, falling into the water. When they surfaced, they watched as Steven turned to them, resolute in his voice.

"NO! Don't! Steven!" Pearl shouted desperately.

"What are you doing?!" Amethyst cried.

Steven sighed, hanging his shoulders. "I get it now. I'm the only one who can stop what she started. I can stop all of it!" he told them. "She wouldn't have wanted this. But I do."

Amethyst was almost at tears. "I'm gonna kick your butt if you don't come down here right now!"

"DON'T YOU DARE!" Connie shouted, desperately.

Steven turned to go, but not before giving them a sad smile. "I love you."

Despite the others' protests and cries, the ship powered back up and warped into space with a loud snap, leaving them in silence once more.

O

Aquamarine grinned as she studied Steven excitedly. "The Rose Quartz. Can you believe it? And she just handed herself in."

Steven stood there with a frown on his face before he rolled his eyes at her gloating. "That's right. You caught me. Galactic Criminal Rose Quartz." he said, putting on airs, "I love shattering Diamonds. I just want to shatter 'em all the time."

Aquamarine laughed and hovered in front of him. "You think shattering's bad? Wait till the Diamonds get their hands on you."

Steven sighed. The thought was absolutely terrifying, but now that the others were away, he could at least find comfort in that. "At least everyone else is safe."

As if on cue, one of the Topaz's that made up the fusion brought a kicking, yelling Lars up from the lower level of the ship.

"What are you doing? Let go of me!" Lars cried. He met Steven's eyes and grunted with effort. "Steven!"

Steven was shocked to see him. "Lars?!"

Aquamarine smiled and drifted over to the human. "Oh! Looks like we got one of the humans anyway. Don't know what we'll do with just one of them, but I guess that's for the Diamonds to decide.

Steven scowled at her now. "Wait. Aquamarine, the deal is off. You were only supposed to take me. No humans." He pointed at Lars, who still struggled to be free of Topaz's hold. "That's a human."

Aquamarine pouted mockingly. "Oh, no. Is Rosie upset 'cause her widdle 'deal' didn't work?" she sneered. She gestured to her gem beneath her eye. "Look. I'm so moved, I'm crying." She laughed with glee. "Just kidding. That's my gem!"

Waving at Topaz with one hand, she continued. "Go on. Do your thing."

The Topaz's began to fuse and the result trapped Steven and Lars within her body.

Lars groaned with dismay and Steven squirmed with a grunt of effort. But it was useless. They were trapped now with no other way out.

O

"What do we do?" Pearl cried, pacing back and forth in the kitchen. "We have to do something!"

"I don't know!" Amethyst was panicking. "I DON'T KNOW!"

While everyone was talking and arguing about what had happened, Jasper was leaning against the counter. Everything in the room had begun to spin and she blinked rapidly, shaking her head in an effort to be rid of the sensation. No one noticed her condition at first.

 _What have you done?_

 _You protected them. Your enemies._

 _What have you done, Jasper?_

Jasper mumbled something and began to sway. The loud thump of her collapsing to the floor immediately halted the arguments in the living room. Pearl rushed to her side first, frantic.

"Jasper!" she cried, kneeling and shaking her shoulders. "Jasper, are you alright? JASPER!"

 _Jasper was sitting in the grass, her eyes closed._

 _"Jasper, aren't you tired?"_

 _A yellow bird-like creature circled around her. It only had one eye; wide and unseeing before it focused on her. Its features glittered like gemstones and its talons were sharp._

 _"No. I'm not tired. I can't sleep. Not even for a second." Jasper said, hesitantly._

 _The bird chuckled, hissing gently in her ear. "Go to sleep. Give in. It only gives up if you do."_

 _"Jasper!" A pink lion spoke now, crouched on the other side of her. "Do not listen to the vulture! It will lie to you!"_

 _A blue owl with three eyes observed them from afar. A rumble._

 _"Listen to us, Jasper. We are where you belong." it spoke._

 _Jasper looked down, eyes widening as the pale-white form of a snake's body slithered into her view. Its head was adorned with a crown and several floating orbs hovered above it, like stars. Its eyes were white and glowed._

 _It had begun circling. And circling._

 _It hovered over Jasper's head now, showing rows of diamond-like fangs. Jasper shut her eyes when she felt the breath of that creature near her ear._

 _"I am your only way, Jasper." it spoke, forked tongue flicking out once. "I am the only way."_

 _"Do not listen to them, Jasper." the lion rumbled. "They will lie to you. Always. Believe yourself. Trust your heart."_

 _"You will die, Jasper." the snake promised, calm voice dripping with menace. "Just like your Diamond."_

 _Its mouth opened with a violent hiss._

 _Jasper raised her hands and cried out. "NO!"_

O

Jasper was lying by the fire and she could faintly make out the sound of Peridot's voice. Pearl was there as well and she felt a damp cloth on her head.

Jasper groaned quietly, looking around. "What happened?"

Peridot even seemed concerned for her now. "Well, it sounds to me like you made a decision that went against everything you were taught. That kind of choice takes its toll."

Pearl watched her sadly, distracted. "You're burning up." she said, quietly.

"Where are the others?" Jasper asked, looking around.

"We're all trying to find a way to get to space to save Steven," Pearl explained. She clutched the cloth tightly. "Who knows what they're going to do to him. He's not Rose, but they won't see that. All they'll do is..." She cut herself off, not wanting to think of the possibilities.

Peridot watched Jasper strangely. "I didn't anticipate such a change. But you picked them over Homeworld. It went against everything you were taught. It was in such conflict with your image of yourself that you are now at war within your own mind and body."

Jasper snorted and looked away.

Pearl leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Whatever the reason, I'm proud of you, Jasper." she told her. "You made a choice not just for us, but for yourself. You chose to be free."

"Freedom comes with a price." Jasper said, quietly.

Pearl sighed through her nose. "Yes. It does..."


	14. Chapter Fourteen: Off-White

_Note_ \- Since I've grown fond of White's design, I'm going to have it like that in this fic. Just the appearance of her overall will be different.

~O~

 **Chapter Fourteen: Off-White**

Steven had hoped his first visit to Homeworld would have been under better circumstances.

Now here he was, escaping two Diamonds with Lars beside him after the trial; a trial that would have determined his fate and the fate of Lars. But as soon as Blue and Yellow had begun arguing, Steven had sought the opportunity to get away using Blue's palanquin.

"...you're on our world now!"

Steven barely heard the sound of Yellow's voice fading into the distance as both he and Lars quickly rushed through the streets of Homeworld in Blue's palanquin. Gems of various shape and size passed by, saluting the machine. So far, they didn't see the humans sitting inside of it and merely assumed that Blue had been making a trip through the city.

"So far so good..." Steven whispered.

Lars was shaking, frightened beyond belief. "Steven, where are we doing?" he stammered, "They're going to find us and we're - "

"Lars, it's okay!" Steven assured him, "As long as we stay quiet, we can make it out of here. We'll find a way home."

A few gems had paused, watching the palanquin curiously. They furrowed their brows, seemingly confused by the sight of it.

"They're watching us, Steven!" Lars murmured, chewing his nails.

"Lars, please; stay calm!" Steven whispered back.

"They know!"

A few quartz guards - large and intimidating jaspers - made their way toward the palanquin, talking inaudibly to each other. They began to advance and the humans inside began to sweat in panic. A small robonoid hovered over the palanquin and began to scan it.

Steven's eyes widened and he quickly slapped his hand on the palanquin's control panel. Immediately the machine whirred to life and surged forward, spider-like legs clacking loudly across the metal ground.

Gems gave shouts of alarm and surprise, moments before the jaspers pursued them. Lars and Steven yelled in fright as they made their way toward the edge of a docking port.

"Steven?" Lars cried.

Steven continued to drive the machine forward.

"Steven!" Lars shrieked.

They launched the palanquin forward, directly off of the dock and the jaspers were forced to stop their pursuit before narrowly falling after them. They shouted out in disbelief, watching the palanquin fade into the darkness below.

Steven acted quickly, forming a bubble around himself and Lars, moments before they made contact with the ground.

O

The palanquin was in ruin.

Steven groaned, pushing aside a piece of the palanquin's legs before looking back at Lars. He was stirring, holding his head with one hand. Steven popped the bubble around them before helping him stand.

"You okay?" Steven asked.

Lars groaned, nodding with a weak smile. "Yeah, I'm fine." he said. "Thanks."

The two stood up and looked around, observing the eerie fog that surrounded them; there was an enormous pipe nearby that seemed to travel into a large, monolith-style building. Steven was definitely concerned by the sight of it. Unlike the colorful, interesting structures of Homeworld that he'd seen in a short time, this looked unsettling and lifeless.

The two suddenly heard the sounds of chatter and looked over their shoulders, spotting several quartz's making their way through the mist, looking for them. Steven and Lars quickly took cover in the pipe, mere seconds as the group of gems passed them.

Lars winced at the horrible smell, following Steven as they crawled their way through it. "Ew. What is that smell?"

Steven grimaced, laughing sheepishly. "Sorry. I got scared and - "

"No, that's not it." Lars said, shaking his head. "It's something else. Like...dead fish."

"I don't think they have fish on Homeworld."

"How do you know?"

"I don't. Look, let's just see where this pipe leads. It's better than being chased by those gems out there."

"If you say so."

The two crawled through the pipes until they reached an opening; Steven pulled on the grate that covered it and stepped out, right onto a smooth marble floor. Lars followed and the two looked around, awestruck by the sight of mural paintings all around them.

"Whoa, is this like, weird alien gem history or something?" Lars asked.

Steven nodded, hesitant to answer. "Yeah."

Lars looked over his shoulder and his eyes widened in horror. "Uh, Steven...?"

Steven turned and he noticed it.

An enormous figure was sitting in a gray cathedra, back to them. Several long, black wires were connected to the figure's back, traveling high into the darkness of the ceiling. A few monitors were placed nearby, observing the activity and daily routine of Homeworld.

Steven carefully approached and Lars frantically insisted that he didn't. "Steven, wait!" he hissed.

But Steven couldn't resist his curiosity. He wandered closer, noticing open-toed heeled shoes, a long, white cloak that draped across the chair's arm rests. Frighteningly long, thin fingers that ended in sharp black nails.

A white, diamond-shaped gem on her forehead.

White, spiked hair.

A flash of memory passed by of the moon mural, depicting another Diamond he had yet to meet. White Diamond.

Steven gave a small gasp, backing away quickly before she could see him. Lars noticed it too. He yelped and Steven quickly covered his mouth with one hand.

"It's one of those giant crazy chicks!" Lars said, muffled from behind his hand.

"Shh!" Steven hissed.

There was no movement from the large, pale diamond sitting in the throne. The two looked warily at each other, uncertain of what to do. After a moment of hesitation, Steven carefully moved closer, noticing that her head was leaned forward slightly and her eyes were closed.

She looked different from the other diamonds; her cheeks were bone-white with little gray lines that formed down the length of her face, like tears. Her face was long and angular, and it reminded Steven of the statues in Egypt. Something about the wrinkles beneath her eyes made him believe she was old, but gems didn't age like humans did. So this was odd.

This diamond overall looked especially important; she had elaborate, sharp attire, and a white slit dress. Her cloak had several stars printed in it that shimmered in the dim light. It was really neat to Steven, if he wasn't already somewhat nervous about her.

She seemed to be in a state of slumber, but gems also didn't sleep. Or need to sleep. He looked up at the wires connected to her. Did that have something to do with it? Maybe she was meditating like Pearl often did. Steven lightly tapped her foot and jumped back with a whimper of unease.

Again, no reaction.

"Is she dead?" Lars whispered, wary.

"No. I think sleeping." Steven whispered back. "Maybe? Not sure. Either way, she doesn't know we're here. We should go."

"Yeah, good idea." Lars agreed, nodding. "She's probably not a morning person."

He forced a laugh to ease his nervousness and Steven chuckled weakly in response.

As they walked, Lars bumped his side into a small table, almost knocking a small metal piece to the floor. Steven immediately grabbed it out of the air, eyes wide and sweat pouring down his face. Lars looked at him desperately, eyes screaming an apology.

"Whew..." Steven said, softly.

He set it down, turned and ended up colliding with another table, knocking several tools to the floor with a deafening crash. Lars and Steven both froze, staring at one another in shock and fright. An agonizing silence passed in the room.

The two looked toward the throne.

Slowly, a pair of eyes opened.

O

Steven and Lars quickly hid behind a pillar, frightened.

Slowly, White Diamond rose from her throne, cloak billowing at her feet. She looked around for a moment, seemingly looking for something.

"I know you're there," she said, looking over her shoulder briefly.

Her voice was strange; it rang out almost too brightly, yet still flat like a computer

"Why do you flee from me? Don't be shy," White Diamond said, advancing toward the pillar. "Come. Step into the light, little ones."

Her arm abruptly swung, taking out a pillar; it obliterated into rubble, scattering Steven and Lars across the room in the chaos. White Diamond looked around, watching the room with a blank, almost lifeless stare. It was unsettling. Unlike Yellow and Blue Diamond, White had no warning. She wasn't predictable like them.

"You can only hide for so long," White told them.

Steven swallowed thickly, glancing over toward Lars, who had chosen to take a spot behind a nearby console. When they met gazes, Lars frantically shook his head. He knew what Steven was planning and it was surely not going to be good..

Finally, Steven took a deep breath and stepped out.

White Diamond looked down at him. Steven noticed now that unlike the other Diamonds, her diamond-shaped pupils were white instead of black.

"I'm here. It's just me." Steven said.

"You're not a good liar," White Diamond told him. She looked toward her console of various monitors before pressing a few keys. "You..." She blinked rapidly, seemingly struggling internally before looking down at him. "Give me a moment. Ah, the trial. Yes, of course."

Steven warily looked toward the screens, noticing his image plastered to them. His eyes wandered around the room; images of Pink Diamond had been painted into the murals. He even noticed the floor still bore the same Diamond Authority insignia from before Pink's demise.

Something was wrong.

"Do you think you can make a bargain once more, Rose Quartz?" White Diamond continued.

Steven shook his head. "No."

The eerie way that she stared at him sent shivers down his back. Diamond-shaped pupils narrowed and she inquired once again in an unsettling, flat voice.

"Do you think you'll be forgiven for what you've done?" she asked.

Once more, Steven shook his head.

He glanced quickly in Lars' direction before meeting White Diamond's stare. "If you want me, you can have me."

"I intend to." White Diamond answered, still so unnaturally calm.

Steven was silent, thinking of what else he could say to her. "Just please, leave Earth out of it. Whatever you want, you can have it from me."

"Earth. It doesn't matter what happens to that colony," White continued. "If Blue and Yellow wish to enact their petty revenge on it, so be it. Who am I to stop them? We both know that Pink Diamond wasn't really destroyed. We both know that you needed to give them the story they wanted."

Steven wasn't sure what she was saying. "The trial - "

"Was simply a comforting lie they continue to tell themselves," White interrupted, "They need someone to blame. They need a face to give to the thing that makes no sense. I told them she wasn't gone. They didn't believe me."

The way she smiled, the constant changing of moods led Steven to believe that there was definitely something wrong with her.

"And what of your Crystal Gems, Rose Quartz?" White continued. "Are they here on Homeworld as well? Are they hiding from me?"

"Crystal Gems?" Steven pretended as if he didn't understand. "I don't know what you mean."

"Oh, I think you do," White Diamond said, with a bright, wide-eyed smile, "They sent you here to do their work, didn't they? You always liked to play the part of a ruler, but you never quite understood the language, did you?"

White cut herself off, clearing her throat. She looked at a nearby mirror, at the cracks within it that fractured her visage.

"Oh, I remember...How it all happened, yes? You wanted your freedom, at the cost of those you love so dearly. So you shattered her to send a message." White hissed, "And now, here you are to finish what you started."

Steven backed away and Lars worked to shove the console that he was hiding behind, hoping to distract White Diamond.

"N-No!" Steven stammered, backing away as White Diamond advanced on him. "I'm not here to fight anyone!"

"I knew that this day would come, that the leader of the Rebellion would attempt to make a return to Homeworld," White continued, as if he'd never spoken. She was still eerily smiling. "You face me now, no armies to cower behind, no dominion to protect."

Steven tried another tactic. "I'm sorry about Pink Diamond!" he told her, "I can't give that back to you, but the others had nothing to do with it! It was just me! If it's me you want - "

"Do not presume you understand my wishes, Rose Quartz," White said, empty in her gaze and voice once more, "SHE trusted you. She gave you worth and meaning and you destroyed her. To destroy such purity takes one with a truly evil heart."

Steven thought of the mural he'd seen. Rose Quartz had been painted before a diamond-like figure.

"Now that you're here, it'll be corrected," White promised, with a thin, eerie smile. She reached for him. "I will finally fix what was broken."

Lars heaved a grunt of effort and managed to push the console back. It swayed and collided with White Diamond's terminal, sending a current of electricity through the circuits and wires connected to her. She held her head, giving out the most horrific scream the two had ever heard.

The sound was loud enough to shatter the computers and monitors around them with all the destructive force of a banshee wail. Steven crumbled, holding his ears with a wail of pain. He didn't notice as Lars rushed to pick him up and hurry from the room.

Outside, beyond the building where they were being kept, gems simultaneously held their ears, crumbling in agony as the banshee scream was carried through Homeworld.

Yellow and Blue had their ears covered. Yellow groaned with dismay.

"She's awake." she said.

Back at the tower, White's voice seemed to glitch much like a computer. "Y-You think this hurts?" she stammered. "I - ESCAPING TO UNIVERSE SEVEN-SEVEN-SEVEN - " A collection of deep, terrifying synthetic laughs escaped her. "I WILL SHOW YOU WHAT PAIN IS!"

O

Lars frantically looked over his shoulder as he carried Steven under his arm through the dark corridors. He had no idea where he was going, but he had to keep them out of sight from the crazy giant lady. This one was actually terrifying compared to the other two he'd seen.

Steven was shivering, holding his arms and rubbing them a few times.

"Hey, Steven!" Lars hissed, as they took cover behind a series of broken walls. "Are you okay?"

Steven nodded, seemingly dazed. "I-I think so!" he said. "It's...that scream. I don't know... It felt like my gem - "

They looked up sharply at the sight of movement around the corner. White Diamond had yanked herself free from the wires and she was strolling down the corridors, dangerous heels clicking on the metal floor. Steven and Lars quickly silenced themselves, shaking in fright when White passed them.

They made their way through a crack in the wall, entering a dark corridor lines with metal bars. Steven looked over his shoulder, then to Lars.

"I think we're okay." he whispered.

"No one's okay..."

The soft, sad voice reminded Steven of Pearl and the two looked into the dark, trying to find the source of the sound. The bars were separated into cells and there was movement inside each one. Steven and Lars stood close to one another, unsettled.

"Wha... Who's there?" Steven called, quietly.

"Let me out...!" a voice snarled from a dark cage.

Steven approached the cage and the soft voice from before spoke again. "I wouldn't let her out if I were you..."

The snarling voice spoke. "Don't listen to them, I'm not like her! I want to get out! It wasn't my fault she did this to me!"

Steven's hand reached for the door, but paused.

"She's too far gone," the soft voice warned, almost amused. "She'll bite you like she bit the other one."

"SHUT UP!" the snarling voice spat.

Steven recoiled and looked at Lars. They tried to stay as far as they could from the cages. Steven was frightened, but he had to see. He had to know what was going on.

"Is there a light?" he asked, warily.

"She wants to look at us." another voice that sounded eerily like Lapis whispered. A chuckle, with a trace of mad glee echoed from the cell, "Oh, what would she think?"

"Help us...please..." A red hand reached out and Steven yelped at the sight, recoiling.

Lars looked up and noticed a button on the wall. He picked up a nearby piece of metal and heaved it at the button with all his might.

Immediately, the corridor's upper lights flickered before finally switching on, poorly lighting the cells and revealing the gems housed within it.

Steven and Lars immediately regretted their choice of hiding places because the gems inside their cells were twisted, malformed creatures; unlike corruptions, they resembled their old selves, but were cracked, broken and mutated beyond anything Steven had ever seen before in his life.

One cell housed a Lapis with only one wing. Her back looked cracked and she struggled to fly, but couldn't quite lift up enough before collapsing.

Steven was horrified, unable to move.

"Look what she did to us..." a ruby in a cell whispered. Her eyes were wide, her face pulled up in a permanent grimace.

Inside another cell was, in fact, a Pearl; she was made up of gray and black colors, but she had four arms. Two were behind her back and the other two were crossed over her chest. She also looked cracked, like a broken statue about to fall apart. One of her eyes was black while the other was white.

"Mm, she doesn't remember us," she said, sadly.

"Mistress will be upset if she knew they were here..." a jasper hissed, from a corner cell. She was on all fours, patched together with various colors that looked agonizing, "We mustn't upset the mistress. She would be angry." She began to mumble under her breath. "Mustn't make mistress angry. If she's angry, she hurts. If she hurts, we hurt. We hurt badly."

"Hush." the Pearl chided. "The poor thing's frightened. We need to be courteous to our guests."

Steven struggled to find his voice. "What... What happened to all of you?" he asked.

The Pearl sighed sadly. "She likes to 'fix things'. She wanted to fix us. Me? I was a perfect toy. 'Top of the line' they told me. Well, I turned my back on my master and..." She turned, revealing the form of another Pearl. They were fused at the back. "You can imagine what happened, really. She strives for perfection."

Lars' eyes widened. "So she's like Frankenstein and putting you guys together?"

"I'm not familiar with such a reference," the Pearl replied, shaking her head.

Steven reached for the door. "I can get you guys out," he said, "You don't have to be experimented on anymore!"

The Pearl watched him tug at the door a few times before she placed her hands over his. She smiled sadly down at him. "Oh, Rose...for us, it's already too late. We have nowhere to go, except for in our heads. And even then, that falls apart eventually."

"If it's just you, we can get you out - "

A chuckle from another cell. "Only us?"

The Pearl sighed. "Rose, this entire floor encompasses cells in the hundreds. All of these cells are filled with gems she wants to 'fix'. You can't save us all."

Steven's eyes filled. "But - "

"You have to go, Rose." the Pearl interrupted, "Leave this place before she finds you. What she did to us, she will do worse to you. And the human boy? Keep him safe and don't forget what you fight for. Please. Don't let our suffering end in vain."

Lars took Steven's shoulder in his hand. "Steven, she's right." he told him, "We have to go before that crazy chick finds us!"

Steven hesitated, staring at all of the twisted gems inside the cells; they walked to their doors, gripped the bars and watched him with a mixture of sadness and resolution. All of them, victims of White Diamond. All of them she wanted to 'fix'.

"I'll come back for you," he promised, "When this is all over, I'll be back, I promise."

A curt laugh from the Pearl fused behind the other Pearl's back. It was the first time she'd spoken and her voice was gravely and sick-sounding. "She shouldn't make promises she won't keep."

O

Steven and Lars made their way down the corridors. Steven was silent, unable to fathom what he'd seen in the cells. He could briefly make out the soft, crying noises from other cells in the distance; the Pearl had been right, there were probably so many down here who'd suffered from White Diamond's cruelty.

"Steven..." Lars said, carefully. "What do you want to do now?"

Steven looked up at him. "I - I don't know, Lars. All these gems are here because of White Diamond. Some of them because of mom's choices and I don't know how I'm going to fix it."

Lars stared at him, strangely sympathetic in ways he wasn't often.

Then, both of them froze at the sound of approaching heels. They quickly found cover behind a statue nearby and were horrified to see White, having followed them below.

She paused at the end of the corridor, glanced up briefly before looking over her shoulder to the statue that the two humans had been hiding behind. She tilted her head and smiled.

Steven and Lars looked up with cries of terror as White Diamond pushed the statue away, smiling triumphantly at the sight of them. It crumbled to the floor and shattered to rubble, but it didn't particularly seem to bother her whatsoever.

"Ah, there you are." she hissed, grinning like a cat stumbling upon a mouse.

Two poor, weak little mice.

Steven and Lars quickly sprinted from her, moments as her hand came down to retrieve them. They hurried down the corridors with White Diamond laughing, trilling that same eerie synthetic sound as before. Steven spotted a pipe nearby and frantically tugged for Lars to follow him.

"Quick! Hurry!" he shouted.

We wanna go back out there?" Lars cried.

The two looked back toward White Diamond and immediately decided that outside was better than in this place. They quickly scrambled into the pipe, mere seconds as scorching white fire shot out at them from the palm of White Diamond's hand.

Steven could feel the heat nearly singe the hairs on his cheeks. To protect Lars, he brought up his shield; the flames from White Diamond's attack licked the corners of the protective barrier. They quickly hurried back outside.

Fortunately, no gems were around to catch them. But Steven couldn't risk looking back toward the other end of the pipe. He was unsettle by the sight of White Diamond staring back with a smile on her face.

"I will have you, Rose." she promised. "One way or another, continue to play with your toys if it comforts you, but I will have you eventually."

Steven urged Lars to start running and he didn't need to be told twice.

"This planet's insane!" Lars panted. "Let's find a way out and soon!"

Steven continued to look back at the place they'd fled.

So many new questions in his mind.

He would never stop hearing White Diamond's laughter ringing in his head.

O

Steven and Lars remained hidden in the alley.

"Did we lose her?" Lars asked, unsettled and still shaken.

Steven nodded his head, glancing out from the alley once to make sure. "I think so. She didn't seem interested in chasing us."

"Are you sure about that, Steven?" Lars said, skeptical. "She seemed pretty interested in killing you back there! The other two ladies were at least talking! This one's crazy!"

Steven thought about it. Lars was right. White Diamond was definitely a little different from the other two diamonds. Something was off about her. She was actually terrifying compared to Yellow and Blue, and those two diamonds were frightening on their own.

And those gems she'd tortured...

"Okay, so what do we do?" Lars asked, looking down at him, "Because they're not just gonna just let us leave. We need a plan!"

Steven nodded in agreement. He glanced out from the alleyway and watched a few passing gems; Homeworld was beautiful, in its way and had they not been running for their lives, he would have liked to enjoy the scenery a bit more. After all, this was part of his culture, in a sense.

Maybe some other time.

Just then, a familiar humming sound caught his attention and he noticed two robonoids flying through the air, scanning alleys and dark corners. They were obviously looking for him and Lars.

"Oh no, those things are back!" Lars whispered, "Steven, we gotta move!"

Steven looked up and noticed a gem beckoning to them from the other end of the alley from an enormous cathedral. She was small, maybe slightly taller than a ruby. She had short green hair, a green dress and bright green eyes.

"Hurry!" she called, "In here!"

Steven and Lars hesitated. They didn't know if they could trust her.

"Who is she, Steven?" Lars asked, frightened.

"I don't know, but we can't wait here!" Steven told him. "Hurry!"

The two quickly hurried into the cathedral and the gem immediately shut the door. The two robonoids drifted passed the building, humming loudly the entire time. Steven and Lars watched the door and the gem in bated silence before she finally turned, shaking her head.

"First time on Homeworld, I take it?" she quipped, with a chuckle.

"Sorta." Steven said, "It's...a long story."

The gem nodded, smiling a little. There was a kindness to her gestures and expressions that Steven immediately felt at ease with. Whoever she was, she couldn't have been out to betray their location. He couldn't describe it, but he had a good feeling about her. Lars seemed to doubt that, however.

"So, are you gonna rat us out?" Lars asked her.

The gem laughed a little. "If I wanted to, you'd have been found already." she told them. "But that's not what I want. I only want to help you."

She started walking away and the two followed her. They couldn't help but look around and the expansive chamber they were in; it resembled a church of some kind, with painted walls, lit candles littering every table and shelf and stained windows.

It seemed like a safe enough place.

Steven walked over a design of the Diamond Authority painted on the floor. This one bore only the symbols of White, Blue and Yellow Diamond. It made him think about what he'd seen in White Diamond's tower, how she'd seemed adamant that Pink was still alive somehow.

He had so many questions but first, he thought it would be good to understand the gem who'd helped them.

"So, uh...who are you, anyway?" he asked.

The gem stopped in front of a rug laid out on the floor. "I'm a jade." she told him. "We are keepers of enlightenment and truth. We help gems who can't help themselves."

Lars made a face. "Pretty vague, if you ask me." he quipped.

Jade bent down, removing the rug that revealed a small, trap door. "The two of you can hide here for now. When it's time, I'll take you to the warp beyond the city, through the dead wood. It's been unused for a long time, but it'll take you back to Earth."

Steven frowned, confused. "How do you know it still works?"

"It belonged to...Her." Jade told him, her voice suddenly grave. She seemed uneasy about something, but didn't say.

Steven's mind immediately went to Pink Diamond. He didn't know why.

"Why are you helping us, anyway?" Lars asked.

Jade exhaled quietly. "Because that's what a jade does, little human. We help others. It doesn't matter to me what you are. The point is you must get off of this planet before she finds you."

Steven and Lars couldn't have agreed more with that.

"Well, thanks..." Lars said, managing a smile. He figured she was owed that much.

"White Diamond will not stop looking for you," Jade continued, "Yes, I know she's searching. You don't hear a Diamond Scream and assume the best."

"Why is she..." Steven began. He wasn't sure how to finish that question.

Jade arched a thin eyebrow. "Why is she the way she is?"

Steven nodded.

"Well, many rumors of Pink Diamond's demise were woven through the years," Jade explained, "Many gems say she hasn't been the same since. Other believe she's unhinged, unlawful and out of her mind."

Lars scoffed. "Can't imagine what would give them that idea." he quipped.

Jade looked over her shoulder for a moment before she gestured to the trap door. "You'll be safe here for the night and then we can travel to the warp. But should something happen, there's a door that will lead you through the drain tunnels that empty into the wood."

Steven looked at her worriedly. "What do you mean 'should something happen'?"

Jade didn't answer and opened the trap door. "Don't ask too many questions. It's best not to. Now go. Stay quiet and don't make any noises. Gems come and go later in the day for solace, so I don't want to have to explain your presence to them."

Steven looked at Lars. "We don't have much choice. We should listen to her."

Lars nodded hesitantly. "Anything's better than being out there." he agreed.

They started to travel down a path of metal stairs, but Lars paused and looked at Jade hopefully. He held his stomach.

"I...uh...don't suppose you have any food?" he asked.

Jade shook her head. "I'm sorry, but no."

Lars groaned quietly and joined Steven below. Jade shut the trap door, covered it with a rug and departed, leaving Lars and Steven alone.

O

It was a small space.

Steven and Lars were forced to sit back-to-back in the cramped spot near a small grate. As true to what Jade said, they could hear the sounds of passing gems above them; Jade talking and praying with them. So far, no one seemed to suspect anything out of sorts.

Lars' rumbling stomach got Steven's attention. He grimaced sheepishly. "Sorry." he said.

"It's okay." Steven replied, leaning his cheek against his knees for some kind of comfort. "I'm hungry too. Just...try not to think about it."

Lars was quiet again. He frowned thoughtfully before glancing back at Steven.

"So why are they after you, anyway?" he asked.

"My mom." Steven answered, with a sigh, "She did something bad and now the Diamonds want me because of it. I mean, I THINK she did. I don't know. This is all confusing for me too."

"That sucks." Lars replied, looking at him with concern.

"Yeah..." Steven didn't know what else to say.

He couldn't stop thinking of White Diamond and what she'd said to them; the things they'd seen below... The gems who had been twisted for White's purposes, suffered for her experiments. Whatever had happened, the truth would come out eventually. He hoped so, anyway.

He shut his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Hours went by and eventually, both Steven and Lars awoke. Lars wiped a sliver of drool from his mouth, mumbled slightly and looked back at Steven.

"Hey, are you awake?" he asked.

Steven nodded his head. "Yeah." He looked up at the trap door cautiously. "I wonder where Jade is. I think it's been a while now."

Lars looked worried. "You think she ratted us out?"

"No. I don't think so."

"How can you be so sure, Steven?"

"I just can, okay?"

Lars didn't see a point in arguing with him. "Okay, okay. I didn't mean..."

Steven realized he had snapped at him unecessarily. "Sorry. I'm just scared."

"Yeah, me too."

He was cut off by the sound of the front doors of the building opening and immediately, the two paled when the familiar sound of heels against metal filled the air.

 _Clack, clack, clack..._

Steven and Lars watched the ceiling above them groan from the weight as they followed the noise. It made them shiver with fear when they realized who had just walked into the cathedral.

"Jade." White Diamond's bright, yet flat computer-like voice filled the air as the clacking of heels stopped. "It's good to speak with you."

Jade's calm voice filled the air now. "My Diamond. I am honored to see you arrive."

"Your honor pleases me." White continued.

"Have you come seeking solace?" Jade questioned, still surprisingly serene in her words. "As you know, my purpose is to help all those in need."

Steven and Lars kept quiet, listening to this incredibly tense and unsettling exchange between the diamond and Jade. Whatever was going on, Jade hadn't ratted them out just yet. Perhaps she wasn't even going to do so.

Above them, the diamond walked around the cathedral. Her eyes wandered a bit, studying everything in the room before falling to the gem watching her. Those pale, unsettling pupils narrowed somewhat.

"I haven't been here in so long," White said, eventually looking up at the many statues in the great hall. She smiled. "I've always admired the symmetry of your belief; the idea that every gem can be equally close to one another through spiritual enlightenment. Perhaps that is why I made you. To connect with what was stolen from me."

Steven and Lars looked at one another, concerned.

"Tell me, Jade; do you still sing those lovely songs every evening?" White asked, glancing back at her with a thin, unsettling smile, "I did adore them once."

Jade nodded. "I do, My Diamond. They are still loved, even after all of these years. We always vow to uphold the traditions of Our Most Radiance."

White Diamond's pleased voice was softer now, a little eerie. "That's lovely to hear."

Steven felt like going up to help. The entire conversation felt like a bait. A trap. Even worse. He didn't know what else to do. If Lars hadn't been here with him, he could easily keep Jade from being cornered like this. But since Lars was a victim in his mother's problems, he had to keep himself scarce for his sake.

"What's...different in here?" White questioned.

"Nothing, Your Radiance. I've maintained the same cleaning routine, the same songs, the same prayers. I've changed nothing."

"You're a very clever gem, Jade." White told her. "That is why you're one of mine. But I know the two that I'm looking for passed through here not too long ago; sometime earlier, I believe. You wouldn't have happened to see them, have you?"

Jade calmly shook her head. "I have not seen anything strange, My Diamond."

"No?" White gave a soft, synthesized chuckle. "Are you sure, Jade?"

"Yes, I am sure, My Diamond."

White Diamond turned to face her and every lit candle in the cathedral was immediately snuffed out, bathing the room in darkness. Jade still stood strong and resolute, but the fear glinting in her eyes was enough for White Diamond to see the truth.

Steven and Lars couldn't see anything through the metal, only listen to the tense silence that followed.

Then, Jade gave a sharp grunt of pain, as if she'd been brutally seized and Steven could hear White Diamond's soft, synthetic chuckle follow.

"Shhh. Shhh. It's all right. Be still. I know, Jade. I know you've seen them," she said, as if soothing a petulant child, "I know you've helped them."

"I don't! I haven't!" Jade grunted.

"But you do. And I have wasted enough time here... Oh, don't be afraid. It's okay. It'll be all over soon."

"Please, I... Oh no, My Diamond, please don't!"

There was a blinding light that filled the room. The light was so bright, it nearly filtered through the cracks in the floor. Steven and Lars covered their eyes; even the small, thin rays nearly blinded them. When the light faded, Steven and Lars couldn't move. They couldn't breathe.

A small thump, like something heavy being dropped to the floor.

"Oh dear..." White Diamond said, quietly. She sounded piteous, but even that carried an emotionlessness to it. "Well, that's what happens to those who keep the things I desire from me. Still, it matters not. I have other ways of getting what I want."

Lars and Steven held their breath, struggling to keep the horrified whimpers from being heard behind their hands. The sounds of White Diamond's departing heels vanished after a moment. The doors of the cathedral closed and finally, Steven rushed out from the trap door.

Jade was lying on the floor, facedown.

"Jade!" Steven cried, rushing toward her.

"Steven, be careful!" Lars insisted, warily watching the door. "She might be back!"

Steven gently picked up Jade, turning her around. Her eyes were closed and her gem looked fully intact. She wasn't moving.

Then, after a few moments, her eyes opened and she sat up, smiling brightly; the action startled the two sitting there near her.

"Good evening, little ones!" she greeted, in a bizarre voice that sounded like someone reading from a script. "I am Jade-2G4 Cut-7HD. But you may just call me Jade, if you'd like!"

Lars looked at Steven worriedly. "Is she alright?"

Steven looked at Jade. "Hey, you talked to us earlier, remember?" he said. "You were going to help us find the warp to Earth?"

Jade chuckled, as if she'd never heard of it before. "Find a warp pad? Well, that's not the function I was made for, little thing! I was made to serve gems in emotional distress! If you are in emotional distress, please direct all complaints to me!"

Steven looked haunted. "You don't remember anything?"

Jade laughed. "I was just made, of course! All I know it my purpose!"

"She... She wiped her memories." Steven couldn't believe it.

Lars looked frantic. "She can DO THAT?"

Jade brightened and stood up, making her way to the door. "Now, if any gems need spiritual guidance, I will be happy to help them!"

Steven and Lars watched her, stunned by this revelation. So not only did White Diamond possess a destructive scream, she could wipe gem's memories. Much like Yellow and Blue Diamond, it seemed as if every matriarch of the Authority had abilities meant to control and destroy.

"We need to go." Steven told Lars.

"That's what I said twenty pages ago!" Lars said, making his way down the trap door again.

O

The pipe led them out into a dead forest, just as Jade had described.

Lars was holding himself, shivering. Steven had been so distracted by what White Diamond had done to Jade that he didn't notice until Lars spoke.

"This is so messed up!" Lars groaned. "We're never getting home! I don't know what to do! This sucks! This sucks so much!"

Steven shook his head. "Lars, it's okay to be afraid."

Lars groaned, glancing upwards. "No, it's not! I'm ALWAYS afraid! All the time! Even before all of this, I was afraid!"

"What do you mean?" Steven asked.

Lars stopped walking and looked down at him. "Steven, I was afraid to meet those guys at the Big Donut. I was afraid to make Baklava because it looked hard..." he groaned. "I'm just so tired of being scared all the time!"

Steven smiled and shook his head. "Lars, everyone's afraid of something." he assured him. "That's okay. I'm scared of a lot of things too."

Lars sighed. Well, that didn't make him feel any better, but it did make him feel less alone. Steven looked beyond him and his eyes widened.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed.

Lars turned, expecting the worst. But instead, he saw the warp pad that Jade had described. Steven brightened and rushed up to it.

"Jade was right! It's still here!" he said.

"So, how does it work?" Lars asked.

A small control box was nearby and Steven made his way to it. Sure enough, after pushing a few buttons, it began to light up with energy. Lars looked at Steven anxiously.

"I don't know what's going on. Is this thing gonna take us home?" he asked.

Steven nodded happily. "Yeah! It should!"

Lars heaved a sigh of relief. "Finally! I wasn't sure how long I could last on this crazy planet!"

Something changed in the air.

Steven and Lars looked over their shoulders, mere seconds as an explosion of white fire struck the warp pad, narrowly taking them out with it. Lars was roughly thrown to the side and Steven tumbled across the ground from the force.

The two managed to regain their senses long enough to look back at the now destroyed warp pad. Lars made a pitiful sound of anguish and Steven looked horrified.

They looked up now and in the distance, spotted White standing with her hand raised, still smoking from the fire she'd shot out. She slowly lowered her hand and tilted her head, like a fascinated animal.

"Leaving so soon?" she said.

She leaned forward and launched herself at them at unnaturally fast speeds. Steven's eyes widened in horror and Lars gave a yelp, seeking cover behind a dead tree. The look that White Diamond gave him was nothing short of wild, manic and delighted.

"Steven, run!" Lars shouted.

Steven turned, quickly fleeing into the wood with Lars.

O

White pursued them.

"How much worse do you want this to get, Rose?" she called, in a contented voice not matching the malice in her words, "What you can imagine? I can do much, much worse. Pink is gone and this time, you won't get close enough. NO ONE will help you. And now all of Homeworld will know why."

Lars whimpered with fright and Steven tried to comfort him by putting a hand on his chest. He looked up at him, giving him a look that seemed to help. Lars nodded, determination on his face.

"We can do this, Lars." Steven assured him.

Lars didn't seem sure, but they had no other choice. "Okay."

White Diamond looked around briefly before she ignited the palm of her hand with white fire and scorched the trees around her. Lars and Steven coughed, covering their mouths against the smoke. White watched the scene of the forest burning, smiling that disturbing smile.

Steven and Lars struggled to make their way through the burning forest. Steven could see White Diamond patiently waiting on the other side. There was nowhere to go. They were trapped and had no other choice but to go through to her.

"Lars!" he coughed, "We have to!"

Lars nodded his head, groaning and hacking.

"Smoke..." White Diamond said, coughing so suddenly, "Choking... Can't...breathe..." She coughed a few more times before a horrible stream of synthetic, trilling laughter echoed from her.

Something's wrong with you.

Steven's mind went to how deranged White Diamond was before he grabbed Lars' hand and formed a bubble around them both. They charged through the flames and in that moment, White Diamond's hand closed around the bubble, popping it with ease.

Lars fell to the ground with a grunt of pain and Steven was left clutched in White Diamond's hand. He looked up with a horrified gasp of Steven's name. White Diamond didn't seem interested in Lars at all and simply grinned down at Steven, delighted.

"Your mine, Rose," she whispered, a greedy smile touching her face, "It would be wrong of me to deny Blue and Yellow this victory as well, but...well...I cannot help myself."

Steven squirmed in White's grip, grunting with effort. Lars looked down, struggling to find some way to help Steven free from her grip. He noticed a portion of a broken statue before he picked up the pieces and began tossing them in White's direction.

One of them struck the diamond in the back of the head, just as she was departing. White paused, turned and looked down at Lars. He panicked, stepping back as she advanced.

"You fight rather bravely for nothing more than a talking animal." she remarked, smiling thinly. "But if you're determined to die, perhaps I could oblige, for the moment."

Steven shook his head desperately. "No! White Diamond, it's just me you want! Leave him out of this!"

White glanced from him to Lars. Then, a grin touched her cheeks. "Ah, yes. I remember that you have such a love for these silly creatures and surely you remember how creative I can be in these...matters. Perhaps the human would serve a function after all."

She reached for him and Lars yelped, quickly rushing away moments before she could grab him. He ducked out of reach, narrowly missing being singed by the white flames still burning around them. White's frightening, wide-eyed smile looked even ten-times scarier to Lars in the glow of the fire.

"This human must be incredibly important to you, Rose; like...family, perhaps? What must that be like? To have such a thing?" White said, looking down at Steven. "You've fallen from grace, but you of all gems know more about treachery of the soul than any diamond could."

Steven squirmed several more times before he managed to free his left arm.

"This form you've taken. This...blasphemous shape of flesh and bone is a testament to your corruption. To stand as equal to these...talking mammals..." White rumbled, watching Lars like he was a fly that needed crushed beneath her foot.

She reached for him and he screeched, attempting to flee. Steven managed to get his arm free, produce his shield and smack White Diamond across the face with it. She shouted out, a series of synthetic shrieks before opening her hand. Steven stumbled to the ground and Lars quickly rushed to his aid.

They fled, leaving White to regain her senses and charge up a blast of fire from her hand. The two were almost to the edge of a quarry, mere moments as the flame struck Lars.

It all seemed to go in slow motion; Steven watching in horror and a slow, wicked grin spreading across White Diamond's face.

Steven immediately grabbed Lars, formed a bubble around them moments as they plummeted into the quarry below.

"Once, the universe looked up to me and saw beauty, hope and order. Now...because of you, all they will see is horror." White promised, watching them fall into the darkness below.

O

The quarry seemed to have no ending.

Steven and Lars continued to fall deeper and deeper into darkness. Steven looked at Lars, realizing he hadn't been moving. His body was covered in burns and his eyes were closed. Steven quickly gathered him into his arms and tried to hear for a heartbeat.

His eyes widened in horror.

"Oh no..." he whispered, tears falling freely from his eyes now.

He held Lars close, sobbing as they continued to fall. "I'm sorry..." he moaned. "I didn't mean for this to happen! It's all my fault!"

The tears fell onto Lars' cheeks and in that moment, his body began to glow.

Steven watched in muted shock as a wash of pink light blanketed over Lars' body. The wounds he'd suffered from White Diamond began to fade away. His hair even changed from light brown to bright pink.

After a few seconds, Lars groaned and opened his eyes.

They were pink.


	15. Chapter Fifteen: Paint it Pink

~O~

 **Chapter Fifteen: Paint it Pink**

The bottom of the quarry was dark.

Despite this, Steven was anxious about Lars' condition and his new appearance. He seemed disoriented, constantly rubbing his head.

"Lars, how are you feeling?" he asked, frantic. "Are you okay?"

Lars looked around, dazed. His bright pink skin and hair reminded Steven of something that he couldn't quite place; well, he really couldn't think of anything right now except for Lars' new hue and the fact that he'd been DEAD only a few minutes ago.

"I...uh...I don't know," Lars finally said.

Steven was anxious for answers. He had never done this before. "Tell me whatever you can!" he insisted, "This is different! I've never been able to - "

"Able to what?" Lars asked, lowering his arm.

Then, he noticed the change to his skin hue and his eyes widened. He looked around at himself and gave a startled cry, quickly rising.

"Wait, am I... Am I pink?" he exclaimed.

Steven held out two hands to calm him. "Lars, now hold on..." he said, trying to keep him focused. "I can explain - Well, actually, I can't!" A sheepish laugh. "I've never been able to do this before! But let's just say you were...not really...alive?"

Lars looked completely confused before his eyes widened. "Wait, I was...dead?" he cried.

"Yeah, but I revived you! I mean, I'm sorry I didn't ask for permission! I would have if I knew I could..." Steven continued to babble on. "I mean, sure I would have revived you since you were dead, but I just didn't know - Oh, I'm sorry, I just - "

Then, the two looked up when they made out the sounds of familiar, mechanical humming. Three robonoids were making their way down into the quarry, optics scanning. Lars groaned with dismay and Steven took his hand, helping him stand.

"These things just don't quit!" Lars growled.

Steven looked around for a hiding spot, but could find none.

The two suddenly froze at the sound of a whisper, beckoning to them. They noticed a red arm reaching out from a hole near them.

"Hey! Come here! Quickly!" a female voice.

Lars paled. "Steven?" he said, warily.

Steven took his hand, not taking any chances. He followed the beckoning hand and dove into the hole with Lars. They fell deep into darkness and the robonoids passed overhead, missing them by mere seconds.

Steven and Lars struggled to see in the dark in front of them, but they could only make out two sets of eyes watching them.

"Are you okay?" a voice asked, from one of the eyes.

Steven nodded. "Yeah, thanks to you. Are you..."

Light from a gem began to glow and the two watched in amazement as their rescuer made themselves known.

Or rather, HERSELF.

Two thin, tall gems with short, maroon hair and red skin. They were conjoined at the waist with one pair of legs and arms. Their gemstone had a "Y" shape located on the navel, where their bodies connected.

Lars gave a startled cry, recoiling. His action seemed to shock the twins and they withered a little, clearly wounded by the reaction. Steven quickly took Lars' hand to comfort him and gave the gems who had saved them a look.

"Sorry." he said.

The two gems studied them curiously. "Hm," the left gem mused, "I've never seem gems like you before. What are you?"

Steven gestured to Lars, then to himself. "This is Lars. And I'm Steven."

"We're Rutile." the right gem said, with a smile.

The left Rutile looked up toward the hole before gesturing for them to follow. "Come, this way. This way, come!"

The two started to follow, but Lars hesitated. He looked down at Steven cautiously. "Steven, wait. Is this really a good idea?"

Steven nodded his head. "They seem... different. I think we can trust them!"

Lars nodded in return, but he still seemed hesitant. Even more, the pink shade of his skin was still a matter to consider.

O

Lars and Steven proceeded through the quarry with the Rutile Twins as their guide. So far, they were quiet, which gave Lars the chance to study his pink hands. Steven watched him uncertainly. He'd never done anything like this before.

Lars tried to move his burned shirt a little, adjusting it before it fell apart across his left shoulder. He groaned with disappointment.

"Aww man. That was my favorite shirt," he protested, with a sigh, "Oh well. There's worse things right now than a shirt, anyway."

"So...uh...how are you feeling?" Steven asked, carefully.

Lars shrugged his shoulders, then looked a little unsure. "I don't know. I mean, I'm not hungry anymore. So I guess that's a plus, right?"

Steven couldn't disagree with that. "So...do you feel okay?"

"I don't really know." Lars looked at his hands and seemed completely lost.

Steven continued to push for answers. "But your body, are you sore?"

Lars looked at himself and noticed a spider-web like scar across his shoulder and arm. It reminded him of a horrible scrape he'd seen one of his classmates end up with after falling down a patch of gravel. Still, it was kinda cool to him in a way.

"No." he answered. "Not sore at all."

"Are you tired?" Steven asked.

"No."

"Do you feel good?"

"No."

Steven was worried now. "Do you feel bad?"

Lars shook his head, a faint edge in his voice. "No!" he snapped. Then, he exhaled and looked at his pink arm again. "I - I guess I just feel really freaked out?"

Steven couldn't agree more with that. "Well, I am, too, so at least we're on the same page here."

He looked at the Rutile Twins now. "Uh, excuse me, but where are you taking us?"

The left Rutile looked back at him. "Somewhere... long forgotten." she assured him. "Where only those who don't belong...belong."

Steven and Lars looked at each other, not sure what to think of that cryptic message. Instead, they marveled the appearance of the quarry slowly changing; the rock walls looked to become smooth marble textures, there were even statues of gems.

The Rutile Twins led them toward what looked like a building similar to Egyptian architecture. Steven remembered seeing the Luxor Temple in one of Connie's text books.

"Wow, look at this place" Lars exclaimed. "It's huge!"

The Rutile Twins approached the great doorway and gestured for them to follow inside. As they passed, Steven noticed images of a shapely feminine figure standing on both sides of the door. They looked like statues of Pink Diamond.

There was a hypostyle hall style to the interior of the great building; dust covered every inch of the chamber and Steven could see interesting wall murals lining every inch of the walls and even floors. All of these designs bore history of Era-1, he assumed.

Finally, the Rutile Twins stopped and called out.

"We're back!" the right Rutile announced.

"Here we are! It's okay to come out!" the left Rutile added.

From inside a hole, a gem stepped out, panicking.

She looked muscular, perhaps almost similar to Garnet. She had reddish skin and a long pointed, upturned nose along with mismatched attire. She also seemed to have been a fusion. Steven could have only guessed that she was a combination of a pearl and a ruby, given how familiar this fusion's attributes looked.

"Oh, thank goodness! I hope you weren't followed!" the fusion mumbled, "You weren't, right, I hope, you double checked!" She took one look at Steven and Lars before crying out, her multiple eyes widening. "You've been followed!"

Steven stepped forward and reached out with one hand. Immediately, she backed away. "Uh, hi. Don't worry, I'm not a threat or anything." he assured her.

The Rutile Twins laughed gently. "It's okay, Rhodonite. Relax. We brought them here." the left Rutile added.

Rhodonite looked uncertain. "Can we trust them?"

The right Rutile nodded, giving Steven and Lars a smile. "Sure. I think so."

Lars looked down, noticing a smaller gem step out from behind a pillar. She was about the same height as Steven, peachy orange in complexion. She wore a beige, dull red, and light orange floor-length gown, with a beige collar, shoulder pads, and elbow-length gloves.

"Everyone, a wondrous prediction has come before me!" she exclaimed, clasping her hands together, "The twins of Rutile will bring not one, but two strangers to our current place of hiding!"

Rhodonite sighed, as if she'd heard this many times before. "We know, Padparadscha, your prediction already happened!"

While the two were talking, Steven and Lars attempted to understand more of his revival and what he was feeling. Lars seemed a little more with it this time, though still slightly shaken from this new revelation. Steven wasn't sure how he was able to revive the dead, but he was reminded of Lion when he looked at Lars now.

Same pink, cotton candy-like hair and skin.

"So, what do you think?" Lars asked. "Am I a..." His eyes widened and he began to panic again. "Oh man, am I a zombie?"

Steven laughed weakly. "I don't think so. Zombies can't talk."

"So what am..." Lars looked beyond him and he gave a frightened cry.

Steven followed his gaze and noticed a new gem fusion studying them curiously. She wasn't humanoid, but resembled a large caterpillar. Each segmented part of her body consisted of a different color; green, gray, blue, purple and pink. Her first two segments had a pair of slender arms, clasped together. She had six greenish-blue eyes, a large bulbous nose and wavy, shoulder-length, fluffy, light-blue hair.

Lars ducked behind Steven with a yelp.

The Rutile Twins smiled when they saw her. "Fluorite!" the left one greeted.

Fluorite studied Lars and Steven with a curious smile. "They don't look like gems." she said, speaking in a slow, almost dreamy tone.

Steven waved at her. "Hi, I'm Steven. I'm a gem." he told her. He laughed sheepishly. "Well, half gem. And this is Lars. He's all human."

"That's why you look unusual." Fluorite remarked.

Lars scoffed. "We look unusual?!"

Padparadscha suddenly brightened. "Here comes Fluorite!"

O

Fluorite curled herself across the floor while the others gathered around her. Steven was explaining the situation to them, all the while they listened with mixed reactions. The Rutile Twins looked troubled, looking at one another.

"That's bad news," the left Rutile said, "Did White Diamond follow you down here?"

Steven shook his head. "I don't think so."

"She may not." Fluorite replied. "This place holds painful memories for her."

Lars scoffed. "Painful for her?"

"Yes. For this was once the chamber of the great Pink Diamond."

Lars didn't quite understand the significance, but Steven reacted a little to it. He looked around at the images painted on the walls, the statues in her likeness. It was probably some kind of castle or something for her.

"What happened to it?" he asked.

"White Diamond sank it down here into the abandoned Kindergarten," the right Rutile explained, her features suddenly pensive. "No memories left to remind her of what happened."

"She saved us, you know." the left Rutile added, "Pink Diamond. When the other Rutile's ran away screaming, she found us."

"Really?" Steven looked surprised.

The Rutile Twins looked at him sadly, nodding.

Their gemstone began to glow, before it projected a memory; an image of the Kindergarten. Steven and Lars watched with amazement as the memory began to play out of screaming Rutile's fleeing in terror from the Kindergarten.

 _Pink Diamond was now kneeling before an exit mark, reaching out soothingly for something._

 _"It's all right. Come out. Let me see you." she said, excited._

 _Within a few moments, the Rutile Twins stepped out, covering their faces with shame and anguish. Pink gently took them into her arms. Her gaze was piteous, but she certainly didn't look disgusted by what she was seeing. The Rutile Twins were shaking, unable to fathom the embrace._

 _"I'm sorry. This isn't supposed to happen," she told them, "But it can sometimes. I don't blame you for how you came out. It's not your fault."_

 _The Rutile Twins couldn't look at her. They were too ashamed._

 _"A-Are we going to be broken?" the left one asked._

 _Pink sighed, parting from her and shaking her head.. "No. I wouldn't dream of it." she assured them. "But you cannot be seen in my court. You cannot exist up there. That is how things are and how they must be. You must never be seen, do you understand?"_

 _The Rutile Twins seemed shocked, amazed by her mercy. They leaned close as they were cradled lovingly to Pink Diamond's chest. She wandered deeper into the Kindergarten with them._

"She showed us mercy," the right Rutile said, tears brimming in her eyes.

The left one saw her condition and gently wiped a tear that fell down her cheek. The right Rutile smiled at her.

Steven was amazed by what he watched. So once again, the others had been wrong about Pink Diamond being merciless and cruel. No diamond that he knew of seemed as merciful as this. What gem on Homeworld would go at such lengths?

"So, Pink Diamond wasn't as bad as I thought," Steven said, quietly.

The Rutile Twins shook their heads. "We only know what we experienced." the left one told him. "Pink Diamond cared about each gem in her court, even the off colors."

"Off colors?" Lars asked.

"You know. Wrong." Rhodonite told them.

Steven frowned. "There's nothing wrong with you guys."

"Yeah, try telling them that." Rhodonite quipped, pointing upwards.

O

White gracefully drifted down into the quarry. She landed at the bottom, as light as air. Looking around, White could see every detail of the quarry that led into the vast Kindergarten. She gave a long, quiet sigh.

"Pity..." she mused.

Meanwhile, Lars was talking about how he'd been killed by White Diamond's fire and revived to his pink condition. The other gems listened, awestruck by this knowledge.

"Oh my!" Padparadscha exclaimed, hands going to her cheeks.

"That sounds amazing." Fluorite said.

Something clicked and the gems looked over their shoulders. The familiar sound of White Diamond's heels made Lars and Steven pale with fright. The other gems also recognized the sound and began to panic, quickly backing up.

"That's impossible!" Rhodonite exclaimed, "She...She's never come down here this far!"

Steven quickly gestured to the cracks and holes in the wall. "Everybody! Hide!"

They didn't need to be told twice. Rhodonite scooped Padparadscha up in her arms and rushed off to hide in the place she'd emerged from.

"Watch out! White Diamond's coming!" the little sapphire told them.

Fluorite scaled a pillar, hiding away in the shadows and the Rutile Twins took cover in the ground. Steven and Lars hid behind a statue, mere moments as White Diamond appeared in front of the chamber. She paused in front of a smiling statue of Pink Diamond.

Lars and Steven watched her, tense.

"What's she doing?" Lars whispered, fiercely.

"I don't know. She's just standing there." Steven whispered back.

He stared at White Diamond, watching as a strange look touched her face. His eyes widened in surprise when the mask of apathy fell away only for a second.

"Oh, Pink..." she sighed, her flat tone replaced with a slight tremble of emotion. "Look what you made me do."

Steven was stunned by her emotion.

A soft scraping sound; White Diamond slowly trailing a long, dangerous nail down the length of the statue. It was agonizing.

Then, she grimaced, obliterating the statue into nothing more than rubble. The sound startled the hiding gems and humans. Lars made a small yelping sound that immediately froze White Diamond where she stood. Her eyes widened and she looked back toward the inside of the chamber. A thin, eerie smile lit her face and she turned, facing the entrance.

"I know you're hiding in there. You and your human pet," she said, "We know he would have survived my attack. Quite interesting that you'd go through such lengths to revive a talking animal. You must _really_ love the humans."

Lars pursed his lips, glaring at Steven.

"I let you survive as long as you have. Perhaps curiosity on my part. I wanted to see what you would do," White continued, strolling into the chamber. "But along with mercy, you've managed to destroy yet another part of me."

 _Clack, clack, clack..._

Steven and Lars seized with fear; White Diamond was inside the chamber now, walking around and searching for them. But now, the gems who had helped them were in danger of being found and there weren't many places for them left to hide.

"Do you think shattering is the worse thing I could do to a gem? You've seen my toys, haven't you?" White crooned, attempting to drag them out of hiding through manipulation, "Oh, I have an entire party of red delights waiting all for you. I don't extend such promises to anyone, Rose Quartz. But I think you've managed to earn my full attention. Oh, but I won't say such attention is particularly wise. Especially from me."

There was a grin in her voice with that last sentence, sending chills up Steven and Lars' spine; a delighted, malicious purr that deepened like a malfunctioning computer.

"It only gets worse the longer you hide from me," White promised, glancing around. "And what of your new friends? What will become of them at the hands of your greed? How many gems have to die to preserve you? You're not saving them, you're leading them to ruin as you had so many others."

Playing on his guilt. White was clever.

Lars could see Steven struggling with himself and he placed a hand on his shoulder. Steven looked surprised by the gesture and Lars gave him a reassuring smile.

White exhaled, shaking her head and advancing. "Pity." she said. "There is no end to your greed, Rose Quartz. Now, you will watch as other innocents perish because of you."

While still looking straight ahead, she knelt down and punched her fist through the floor, seizing a struggling, screaming Rutile in her hands. Steven quickly moved from his hiding spot, panicking. The other off-color gems also joined in, talking at once.

White faced them, almost delighted by the sight. Unlike other Homeworld gems, she didn't see the corruptions in any way in disgust; they were opportunities to her, making it more frightening. "Ahh! New specimens! I have many of you who need FIXING."

She pressed a thumb to Rutile's midsection and the twins screeched in fright and terror.

"Stop! No!" Steven cried, tearfully. "Please, don't hurt them!"

White glanced from the Rutile Twins to Steven. Lars appeared beside him, still so frightened of her, but standing strong.

"That's the one thing it takes to bring you to your knees," she purred, pressing a thumb harder into the Rutile Twins. "The threatening of one weak. Pathetic. Defect."

She tossed the Rutile Twins aside like refuse and the gems grunted, pained. She was quickly retrieved by Rhodonite and White Diamond regarded them curiously.

"Ah. The pearl and the ruby who fled their Morganite. How appropriate that I would find you still alive." she said. "If you adore one another so much, I can make certain you will never separate again."

Rhodonite shuddered with fright at the hiss in her words. White turned her attention to Steven again.

"I trust we will not continue fleeing?" she said, her voice ringing out like a delighted child, "I know every inch of Homeworld and its darkest corners. There is no where you can go that I will not find you."

Steven's eyes widened when she reached for him.

"Now then...Rose..." White whispered, her voice frighteningly reminiscent of a blood-thirsty animal.

Lars shook his head frantically. "No!" he shouted, "No, no no!"

With that final 'no' uttered, a loud, massive sonic blast burst from his throat, smashing into White Diamond's midsection. She was clearly not prepared for it and the attack sent her flying through the wall with a sharp grunt of pain.

O

No one could speak.

Steven and Lars looked at each other, eyes wide in shock.

"L-Lars?" Steven exclaimed. "Lars, oh! I think I know what this is! You have Lion powers!"

Lars was still unable to comprehend what had just happened. "I have...what?" he cried. "I have powers? Like, really loud screaming powers?"

The off-color gems cheered him on, but didn't have much time to celebrate for long because White Diamond was stepping out of the hole she'd flown through, brushing the dust from her cloak with a single sweep of her arm.

"So you DO have some fight in you after all, little animal," she said, completely unscathed. "But I have no time for games. And now, you've earned my undivided attention!"

Her hand crackled with white-hot flames and she shot out a powerful blast at them. Fluorite quickly acted fast, circling the gems with her worm-like body. Steven raised a bubble to protect the gems from the attack. When he backed up, his foot pressed on a pressure plate and a hologram played back an image of Yellow and Blue Diamond.

White froze, almost mystified by the sight. The flames surrounded her, but did not harm to her form. The gems took the opportunity while she was distracted to make their way down a tunnel. Steven couldn't help but pause and watch the image play back.

 _"She's gone..."_

 _"I can't believe it..."_

 _"White..."_

A hologram of White Diamond appeared; she looked like she was withering on the floor, as if in great pain. Steven watched with shock as the holographic diamond began to scream with anguish. Her hands were over her face, shaking. The sound was so haunting, he'd never forget it.

Yellow and Blue watched the diamond, shock on their faces. They were crying as well, but as the fresh tears poured down their cheeks. White was clawing at her eyes, smacking her head into the wall. She screamed again, long and loud to the point that it eventually sounded raw.

It wasn't the same as the being currently standing there, emotionless to what she was seeing. She just calmly shut her eyes, as if the memory simply tired her out than anything else. Strangely enough, she hadn't continued her pursuit of them.

The hologram continued, and the sobbing, wailing diamond's sounds began to change into choking, hysterical laughter. It was disturbing to the gems watching from a safe distance away and so entirely alien on someone like White Diamond.

White Diamond laid her face against a wall, hysterically laughing as tears streamed down her cheeks.

Steven watched White, noticing the way she just stood there among the flames. She was calm, almost content in the surrounding atmosphere. A smile touched her cheeks and he knew from that look alone that nothing would convince her.

It wasn't going to change. Not after he saw the truth.

She won't change.

Finally, they continued on through the tunnels, not looking back.

O

[ _Five thousand years ago_ ]

White was laying on the marble floor of her chambers, eyes wide and flushed red from constant weeping. The underside of her eyes were sunken. Her robes circled her in a sea of white and black and her long-nailed fingers twitched every so often.

"My Diamond…" the voice from a pearl filled the air.

White didn't move. She continued to lay there, watching the wall. The pearl didn't know quite what she should do; the older Diamond had been there in that same spot since it'd happened; after the Diamonds had left to corrupt the Rebellion and leave Earth to its own devices.

"I'm…" the pearl looked cautious, unsure if she should approach. "I'm here with news from Yellow Diamond. She sends her report of the corruption. It's successful, just as you said it would be."

No response. White Diamond continued to lay there.

The pearl took a step forward. "Um, Yellow Diamond wants you to meet with her in the trial hall." she attempted, fidgeting with her hands. "I-I was told to inform you that there are Rebels who have been retrieved since then."

Still, no response.

A new sound filled the air now; a scraping noise. White dragged a single, long fingernail in front of her, still staring at the wall with a blank, almost lifeless expression.

 _Scrape…scrape…scrape…_

The pearl winced somewhat, still very uneasy about being there in the dark chamber. The sound continued and though she felt a malicious change in the air, she kept walking toward her.

"Yellow Diamond also said that - "

She didn't get to finish as White abruptly slashed at her with those frightening nails, snarling loud and fierce. The act had the pearl fleeing from the chamber with a frightened squeal, right out the door she'd come from. It closed, leaving the room in darkness; all but the dim lights of White's machines and console screens lit the hall.

Meanwhile, the little pearl had returned to Yellow Diamond, who looked disappointed by her report. Not necessarily because White had lashed out - she was more surprised by that than anything else - but that White refused to join her at the trial.

She had suspected something was wrong with White after it had all happened; but now, she had a greater reason to believe it given the disturbing rumors whispered among her court.

O

A few days went by and White still hadn't left her tower.

Yellow had been working at her best to tend to the military forces of Homeworld and perform Blue's duties as well; she had been mourning the loss of Pink Diamond more often than she should. Yellow failed to see why either one of them did such a thing.

Wasn't it better to move passed it? Wasn't it for the best that they didn't think about what happened? Yellow herself found that when she thought about Pink's demise, it only served to cause her pain. Pain she didn't need or want to feel. So she pushed passed it with all her being.

Surely White, the most logical of them all, could see that.

She made her way to White's tower and was stopped by White's pearl. Grimacing in disgust, Yellow stared at the pale thing in black and gray, one eye cracked and sealed. Her other eye was blank, wide and unseeing.

"I'm sorry, White Diamond is not seeing anyone today," she said, in a flat, monotone voice, "If you would like, I can inform her of your arrival for a later time."

Yellow frowned. "No, that won't be necessary. I - "

She cut herself off at the sounds of glass shattering. Startled, Yellow advanced quicker and found several glass shard littering the floor. Blinking, she raised her foot and noticed that it had been one of White's glass windows, painted in the visage of herself.

"White?" Yellow called, loudly. "White, where are you?"

The tower was so dark, not at all vibrant as it had been in the past. Only a few dimly lit lights lined the wall. Yellow walked into the main chamber and found White tossing a few things to the floor; glass sculptures, consoles and anything else she could get her hands on.

"White!" Yellow groaned, slouching her shoulders. "What are you doing?"

White froze, looking up at her with a wide, delighted grin. It looked almost frightening on her features. "Yellow! Yellow, I have news!" she said, "I was visited by Pink!"

Yellow looked concerned now. "…What?"

"Mmm, there is much work I need to do." White glanced around the mess she'd made and laughed a little. "Oh yes, there is much work to be done indeed. Not just for Homeworld. But for myself." She looked up at Yellow, who suddenly looked uncomfortable by that smile. "Oh Yellow, always yelling to cover the silence. But I do no such things."

Yellow blinked, then reached out one hand to her. She swallowed thickly, trying not to think about it. "All right, White; could you do me just one simple favor? Could you just…" She gestured to White's great throne. "Take a seat. Just sit down for a moment."

White stared blankly at her for a second. Then, she giggled and raised two hands to her face. "Oh Yellow, I had this wonderful notion. It had never occurred to me!" she said, turning toward her many monitors and screens. "All of Homeworld needs to be fixed. All of it. I can fix what was broken."

"What are you talking about?" Yellow asked, now uncomfortable by the change in the air between them.

White's features changed so rapidly. She exhaled softly, her shoulders relaxing. "I won't be going to your trials," she said, evenly, "Have them if you must. Do what you need if it satisfies you. I have other thoughts to keep. Do not bother me again."

Yellow started to argue, but White turned her back and took a seat in her throne. No more was said between them and the younger Diamond decided to depart.


	16. Chapter Sixteen: Shades of White

~O~

 **Chapter Sixteen: Shades of White**

[Pre-War]

 _The morning couldn't have been more perfect._

 _Blue and Yellow Diamond stood before the vast Kindergarten, awaiting the arrival of the new Diamond soon to be brought into the universe. They were standing there with anticipation, but one Diamond was not among them._

 _"She's not here yet," Yellow whispered._

 _Blue noticed it as well, given the way she looked around at the various gems of their court gathered around them; they were privileged to bear witness to this event, as were their Pearls. But they didn't see signs of White Diamond anywhere._

 _"She will come." Blue reminded the Diamond beside her. "She would not miss this."_

 _"Are you sure, Blue?"_

 _"Yes! Why would you doubt her?"_

 _"I don't doubt HER. I doubt her ability to feel much beyond her need to bury herself in her projects while the rest of us wait here."_

 _Their focus turned to the place where the new Diamond would soon emerge from the ground. Blue looked delighted and eager now, clasping her hands together. Yellow was smiling and watched with bated breath. Then, her smile disappeared and she looked at Blue._

 _"She'll miss it." she said._

 _Blue looked disappointed. "Perhaps so..."_

 _The ground split once and cracked open, turning their focus immediately to the ground; Blue was the first to immediately kneel before it. She reached with one hand and a warm smile touched her face._

 _"Come on. Come to me. I'm here..." Blue told the form within the exit hole. She grinned excitedly._

 _It took a few moments before a bright pink hand emerged. Then, the shape of the new Diamond stepped out to face them. Yellow's eyes widened and Blue's hands went to her mouth. After a few moments, she picked her up in her arms. She was small. Very small by comparison to them._

 _The gems around them were kneeling before the new Diamond. Some were awestruck and unable to speak. Yellow was staring with confusion and Blue looked ready to burst._

 _"Hello, Pink!" Blue told her, with a warm smile._

 _Pink's wide, amazed eyes focused on the both of them. Those diamond-shaped irises narrowed and a brilliant smile touched her face. She reached out, touching Blue's face with two hands. It made Blue giggle happily and bring Pink closer to her for an embrace._

 _Yellow along with the other gems observed in silence for the longest time. It was a sight they didn't want to forget._

 _"She's..." Yellow began._

 _"Perfect!" Blue exclaimed, tearfully._

 _Pink giggled happily as Blue danced and spun with her in her arms. Yellow took a step forward, addressing the smaller Diamond._

 _"Pink, do you know who we are?" she asked._

 _"Yes!" Pink said, eagerly. She pointed at each one of them as she said their names. "You're Yellow and you're Blue!"_

 _"Yes, Pink. That's very good." Blue continued. "Do you know what you are?"_

 _"A Diamond!"_

 _"Yes! That's right," Blue said, "Come! We must introduce you to White. Who I'm certain has a good explanation to her tardiness."_

 _They warped to White's tower and Pink certainly proved herself capable of great energy._

 _She looked around the vast corridors, impressed with the sight of wall paintings and everything that had been carefully crafted by White's gems. She looked at the two Diamonds behind her, awestruck. The entire time, they had allowed her the chance to explore and observe her new surroundings._

 _"She's certainly excited..." Yellow murmured, under her breath._

 _Blue laughed a little. "Oh, give her a moment, Yellow. She's thrilled to be here." She looked toward Pink now, who seemed interested in studying the murals. "Pink, White's in that room there, let's go meet her."_

 _Pink nodded her head with a bright smile. "Okay!"_

 _The three walked into the following chamber and Pink's eyes widened at the sight of the other Diamond standing there with her back to them. Pink sensed a change in the air with the two Diamonds at her side. She looked at Blue, then to Yellow and noticed their slightly tense expressions._

 _"White." Yellow addressed her._

 _White turned, looked at her briefly. Then, her eyes focused onto Pink and a bright, happy grin lit her face. "Pink!" she exclaimed, "There you are!"_

 _Pink was awestruck by her presence._

 _"Oh, I'm so sorry for not being there when you emerged," White continued, "But you're here now. Come!" She reached out with two hands, lowering herself a little. "Come here and let me get a good look at you!"_

 _Pink hid behind Blue's legs, lowering her eyes in the presence of the other Diamond. She seemed intimidated by her. White's smile disappeared and she furrowed her brow before looking up at the other two watching the scene. They were tense and uneasy now._

 _Blue looked down at Pink and placed a gentle hand on her head. "Pink, it's alright. You go to her now."_

 _Pink hesitated for a moment before making her way from behind her legs. She approached White, who looked happy once more. Gathering her up into her arms, she studied Pink, pleased._

 _"That's better. There's nothing to be afraid of, Starlight." White said, smiling brightly._

 _Pink eventually smiled. She reached out to touch White's gemstone on her forehead and the older Diamond leaned forward a bit to allow it. Pink found that it looked almost identical to hers; where hers was flipped upside down, White's was pointed upwards._

 _White blinked once as Pink's hands nearly batted her in the eye._

 _"Your gem. It looks like mine." Pink said, fascinated._

 _There was a constant lack of change to her face most of the time, an air of strength that she resonated from deep within her being. Yet...here she looked otherwise. It was a rare sight to see White look at anything with such adoration and love, but here she was._

[Present Day]

White was smiling, but it wasn't the same as it had been in that memory that came unbidden. This one was wide-eyed, toothy and eerie; she watched Steven, Lars and the off-color gems escape her sight through the tunnels.

"Steven! I think we're far enough!"

Lars cried out a frightened sound as Steven dragged them all, bubbled down the quarry's path. He didn't know where he was going, only that he had to get away from White as fast as he could. His running had been tossing the gems inside the bubble all over one another.

"OH!" Steven cried, screeching to a halt. "Oh, I'm sorry, everybody!"

His halt sent the gems bowling over each other; Lars gave a yelp and ended up squished between the Rutile Twins and Fluorite. Padparadscha laughed a little, resting on the crown of Fluorite's head. Rhodonite picked her up and looked warily over her shoulder.

"Is she following us?" she asked, with a frightened sound.

"I don't think so." Lars said, glancing back briefly.

Steven removed the bubble and the gems fell onto the ground. Lars reached up to rub his head, but a small glow from it startled him. He yelped, staggering back with alarm.

"Aah! What was that?" Lars cried. He reached up to touch his hair with two ginger fingers and once again, it gave off a small glow. "Huh? It, like, lit up, right? You saw it, too."

Steven frowned thoughtfully, tilting his head. He reached up, touching Lars' hair; his fingers phased through his hair and the spot glowed once again. Steven's features lit up with realization and he brightened, thinking of Lion.

"Lars, I think I know what this is." he said.

Lars looked anxious now. "Well? What is it?"

Steven made a face. "Well, I mean, it would mean I'd have to..." He trailed off, shaking his head and waving two hands in the air. "Forget it."

Lars sighed, speaking evenly. "Look, Steven, I'm not gonna get mad, okay? I trust you," he told him, "Just help me out here. If I've got magic hair now, I want to know."

Steven didn't want a repeat of posessing Lars, but he looked so desperate for answers and had given him permission this time. He straightened, gesturing for the other gems to back away.

"Everyone stand back." he said.

Rhodonite and the Rutile Twins took a few cautious steps back; after a brief pause, Padparadscha eventually did the same. Steven looked at Lars carefully.

"All right, now just bend down."

Lars lowered himself to one knee and brought his head level with Steven's height. "Like this?" he asked.

Steven nodded. "Okay, now..." he began. He smiled weakly. "Now, you might feel a slight foot in your head."

Lars frowned in confusion. "Wait, what?"

Without answering, Steven carefully slipped his foot into Lars' hair; everyone gasped in surprise, amazed by the sight.

"Whoa!" Rhodonite exclaimed, "Are they fusing?"

Steven continued working his way into Lars' hair; he took a deep breath before disappearing completely.

He didn't return for a while.

Lars sat there, hugging his knees to his chest while they waited. For Steven to return? For magic to happen again? They didn't know.

"So...can all humans do this?" Rhodonite asked.

Lars shrugged his shoulders. "Uh, I don't know. I don't think so."

He poked his arm, watching the pinkish hue change for a moment where he'd put pressure to the skin. The gems around him were quiet until an arm emerged from Lars' hair. Steven burst free, exhaling sharply to get his breath back.

The pair lost their balance and Steven tumbled out of Lars' hair with a yelp. Lars groaned and Steven helped him stand. Lars straightened his back with a small sound and looked down at Steven anxiously for answers.

"So what happened? What's in my head?" he asked.

Steven brightened. "Home."

Lars looked lost. "What?"

Steven gestured to the others. "Everyone, I've made an amazing discovery! I just traveled back to planet Earth by going through Lars' head!"

Lars was shocked. "You went back to Earth?" he exclaimed. "What the heck?" He reached up gingerly to his own hair. "Is my head like a wormhole?"

"No, it's way simpler than that." Steven assured him.

He began to explain to the other gems, who watched him with a mixture of expressions; confusion, acceptance, curiosity and awe.

"You see, I have a pink pet lion who belonged to my mom when she was still here, and it turns out I can go into his mane, and it transports me to a magical dimension where my mom kept a bunch of artifacts on a hill with a tree, and for some reason, I can't breathe in there. But anyway, when I went into Lars' head, I got transported to the same magical dimension, but it was a new part of it, but since the two are connected, I could reach the portal that leads out of Lion's mane, which is back on Earth!"

After Steven's otherwise rapid explanation, Lars simply stood there, dumbfounded. He had no idea what to think of this. But luckily, he didn't have to as Steven offered him a sandwich he'd put together and a box of juice.

"Here, I brought you some food." he offered.

Lars furrowed his brow. "No. Not...not really."

Steven looked confused. "But aren't you hungry? You haven't eaten in days."

"I know. There must be pink magic in my guts now or something." Lars said, staring down at his belly with a mixture of confusion and doubt.

Rhodonite noticed the box of juice and picked it up, turning it in her hands for study. "What is this box?" she asked them.

Steven smiled. "It's juice. We drink it back on Earth."

The gems there looked shocked to hear about the mention of Earth. They looked at one another, mumbling to themselves before the Rutile Twins spoke.

"That can't be. " the Right Rutile said.

"Why can't it be?" Steven asked.

Fluorite exhaled. "Everyone knows that the Earth was decimated by the Diamonds."

Steven shook his head. "It's not like that. The Diamonds did attack, but there are still Gems living on Earth, and the planet's full of life," he assured them.

Rhodonite frowned, confused. "But why would Gems still live there?"

"Because the Earth is a place where we can be ourselves," Steven told her. "We can live freely without having to hide who we are."

At that, the gems seemed delighted. To be able to live freely as they were was an idea that they could only dream of.

"Live freely? Without having to hide?" the Left Rutile said.

Fluorite smiled brightly. "That sounds wonderful."

"It is. And now that we have this portal, we can all go there." Steven told them.

Lars frowned now. "All? How am I supposed to go through my own head?"

Oh. Steven hadn't thought of that.

O

After a few attempts to pull Lars' arm through the dimension in his hair, they eventually gave up on the idea after Lars cried out a few times in pain. Steven abandoned the task and sat down with a disappointed sigh. He didn't like the idea of leaving Lars behind.

"Okay, so that didn't work, but I'm sure there's another way." he offered.

Lars exhaled slowly, shaking his head. "No, no, look. I get it. Everyone just go, and I'll stay here." he told them. "There's no other way out. I'm it. The Earth is way better than this. There's no robots flying around. Just seagulls that fly in front of the sunset and it's beautiful! Just go, you'll see. I took it for granted, so don't pass up this chance."

Fluorite frowned. "We won't do it. Not if it means leaving you behind."

Lars scoffed. "What?! I'm trying to perform a beautiful act over here."

"We know this planet. We've been hiding in these tunnels for eons," Fluorite explained, in her slow drawl, "You'll need us to help you get around. Besides, us off colors stick together."

The camraderie made Lars smile now. It wasn't often that he felt a connection with anyone.

The Right Rutile placed a comforting hand on Steven's shoulder. "We'll get to Earth another way. We'll find an alternate route."

Lars frowned at Steven now, pointing. "But you've got to go back."

Steven started to protest, but Lars shook his head. "You said yourself that everyone on this planet is out to get you. You won't be safe until you're back on Earth."

"But Lars - "

"Don't argue with me! You're always trying to help me. You brought me back to life." Lars sighed now, speaking evenly. "Just let me be somebody who deserved it."

Steven sighed, but nodded and relented. He gave Lars a hug and the other returned the embrace. It took a few moments before Steven pulled away and gestured to Lars' head.

"Um, if you could just..." he began.

Lars nodded. He lowered his head and Steven tenatively made his way into the dimension behind it.

After his departure, it was suddenly too quiet.

O

Lars couldn't sleep.

He continued to watch the direction they'd gone, as if uncertain that White Diamond would come through at any minute. He sat up from his uncomfortable place on a rock surface - which he tried to convince himself was a bed - before glancing over at the other gems. They had been sound asleep.

He started to walk back the way they'd come, not sure what he was doing, but unable to resist his movements. Curiosity.

He had to know.

It was crazy. He knew that as much.

Lars immediately froze.

He saw White Diamond still where they'd left her; she was kneeling on the floor, surrounded in scorched earth. The fire that she'd started was gone, casting her in an eerie darkness. Her eyes seemed to be closed and she looked as she had when Steven and himself had first found her.

Lars stared at the diamond warily. When he took another step, he tapped a small pebble and White's eyes immediately opened. She looked toward him and Lars froze with a frightened sound.

For the moment, they stared at one another; White Diamond's gaze was unreadable, almost blank. His was wide and frightened.

Then, White grinned; it was almost a playful, toothy smile that chilled the air around them.

"Aren't you a surprise." White said.

Lars didn't know what to say. He felt cautious, on edge. Why had he come looking for her? Maybe it really was some stupid curiosity on his part. Maybe he didn't want to have the off-color gems hurt because of him. Could he really appeal to White, though?

"I see Rose is not with you," White continued, her eyes scanning the small human, "Has she chosen to hide? Such is how she is, you understand."

Lars shook his head. "No. No, she's not."

He refused to tell her anything in that regard.

"Is that why you've come to find me?" White seem unusually amused by the thought. "To seek the answers they've deprived of you?"

Lars face only betrayed a hint, but White could see that it was exactly what he wanted. She chuckled and it was the first time he'd heard such a...pleased sound.

"Of course you do." she continued.

She paused and shut her eyes, leaning her head back. Lars studied the diamond, uneasy about the change in temperature between them. It felt colder still, but she seemed relatively calm when Steven wasn't around. Maybe the sight of him was what caused it.

"Have they told you the stories of the diamonds?" she asked. "About our role in the universe?"

Lars shook his head with a murmur.

White smiled thinly and it made her diamond-irises seem smaller in that sea of white. "Hm. No, of course not," she continued, "But each side of war has its own story and those stories are often told by its survivors. You do not comprehend the gravity of what they've done. You're just a talking animal. I would not expect you to understand it."

Lars laughed weakly, surprising himself with his next words. "Maybe you can help me get it."

White leaned her head back a bit, seemingly taken by that. Her brow formed a thin line and her lips tightened. It was a fleeting reaction that only passed for a second - easily missed by anyone. She smiled now and it almost seemed...content.

"Hm."

Lars didn't know what to make of that, but he stayed quiet.

White lifted one hand and a hologram of Earth appeared. Lars stared at the glowing image, captivated by the sight. A sense of longing passed from his eyes, but White caught it at the corner of her own. She smiled a little.

"Glorious, is it not?" she murmured, thoughtfully, "The little animals that crawl across its surface, always looking to the stars and dreaming of vast wonders beyond their reach, never seeing or knowing the untold void beyond. This...small little garden of flesh and bone... So worthy to the Rebellion. So worthy to kill for it. It is here that I first learned the meaning of despair and the agony that came with it."

Her fingers closed around the image, crushing the hologram of Earth in the palm of her hand and destroying it into nothing more than ribbons of light between her fingers. Lars swallowed thickly at the sight.

White turned her attention to him now and her gaze was suddenly poisonous; it reminded Lars of a serpent seconds from consuming a fresh meal.

"Do you know why Rose shattered Pink Diamond? Because I loved her. More than anything. I see no reason not to tell you this. For what would it matter? You remain nothing to me. I loved Pink Diamond above all things in existence." She smirked, and it was a particularly cruel smile. "But Rose loved you more; the little...wriggling, hairless beasts. Such blatant pride."

Lars lowered his eyes. The way she smiled the entire time didn't feel right to him; her eyes were wide, as if she savored the memory rather than felt repulsed by it. He glanced over his shoulder and White chuckled when she caught the gesture.

"Oh, it's quite unbearable, isn't it?" she said, her voice light with that eerie amusement, "The suffering of strangers. The death of friends. The corruptions, the off-colors, the flaws and the cracked. It's all the same to me."

Lars frowned. "You - You're not fooling me!" he told her, forcing calm in his voice. "I know what you are."

White seemed amused. "Do you? What am I?"

Lars sputtered out a few words, uncertain of how else to respond before glaring up at her now. He wouldn't let her get to him. "You're not some victim! You tried to kill us twice!"

White's smile broadened with pleasure. She took more amusement in that idea than anything else. "And it would seem that I had succeeded with you. But Rose brought you back. As I knew she would."

Lars froze, eyes widening. "What? How'd you know that Steven - "

"Rose brought back many things from beyond the grave, such was how she was. Sentimentality is the coin of her weakness."

Lars looked down at himself, staring at his pink skin in silence. He didn't want to think about the possibility that White Diamond knew more about what he was now. But he had to know. He had to ask.

"You're wasting time appealing to my sympathies, human. I have none," White continued, "I would advise you live as long as you can. There isn't much time left on Earth for that."

Lars looked confused. "What?"

White's eyes glittered with amusement. "The Earth as you know it will be consumed by the Cluster. Destroyed. Wiped from the universe. And none would even bat an eye at its destruction."

Lars looked horrified. He tensed when White stood up and turned her back to him.

"What? No! No, you can't!" he cried, his voice shaking out of him. "We didn't have anything to do with this war! It's not our fault!"

White had started to go, but paused at the doorway. She smirked broadly and turned, moving closer to him with a wide-eyed grin.

"You love your world? Good. Then you can watch it burn," she whispered, her voice so chilling, yet so robotic and cruel that Lars would never again forget it. "That will only be the beginning of it. I will destroy Rose Quartz; slowly, intimately, in every way that a being can suffer. When she stands at the precipice of her obliterated world, soaked in the mire of her tears and broken beyond all reason... Only then will she have my permission to die."

Lars was stunned to silence. White Diamond smiled at him and turned, departing from the room and leaving him in darkness.

[Pre-War]

 _Pink sat silently across from White, staring down at the tablet that displayed holographic images of data and history of Homeworld. White silently observed her, watching the cold gaze on the youngest Diamond's face._

 _She had streaks of tears soaked in her cheeks and in her lap, she was holding a music box that had been made for her by White Diamond. A gift she'd been given when she was freshly made._

 _Pink had been upset about it. She knew she was. Ever since White had informed her that she was going to leave, Pink had been excessively difficult._

 _"Why do you do these things?" Pink asked, quietly._

 _White blinked now, staring at her. It was the first time Pink had said a single word all evening. "Whatever are you talking about, Pink?"_

 _"My pearl. The first one you gave me. Why'd you take her away?"_

 _"Pink, that's what happens when you break your toys. I told you that."_

 _"Where did you take her?"_

 _White's eyes narrowed somewhat. The questions seemed to annoy her a little, given the colder temperature in the room now. "A wise gem knows, Pink, there are some thing we best ignore. Subjects that you never speak of." she said, her voice still serene, but carrying an edge._

 _Pink looked at her with anguish. "But I..." she began._

 _White waved a hand in the air, chuckling softly. Once more, she interrupted her. "Yes, you didn't know, so I forgive you. Just don't mention it again." She gestured to the music box that started playing another melody. "Now, Starlight, you shut off that silly thing while you study. I don't like hearing it."_

 _Pink looked down at the music box. She held it closer. "But please, White. I do love it."_

 _White's lips thinned, even though she was still smiling. "But as of now, I do not." she told her, with a faint hint of warning, "Close it up or I will take it from you."_

 _Pink stared at her in furious disbelief. "No. I don't want to."_

 _White laughed softly, though her eyes darkened. "If you will not obey me, we will have an argument which I will win." Her voice raised a pitch. "Now put it away at once!"_

 _Pink's gaze carried a direct challenge now. "You always take things away from me that I enjoy!" she spat. "Why? Is it because you don't want me to be happy anymore? Is that what it means to be a Diamond? To be old and miserable like you?"_

 _White stared at her, eyes widening. "Pink." she warned. "Need I remind you what becomes of those who do not obey me?"_

 _"You're going to leave! Why should it matter how I choose to use my things?"_

 _"Right now, you are under my tutelage and right now, you are to obey me. Now put that thing away!"_

 _Pink defiantly began to play the music louder. White smiled, showing her teeth now in a frightening display; she set her hands on the table and rose. She walked around the table to Pink._

 _"You are to listen to me, Pink."_

 _Pink glared up at her. "No."_

 _Immediately, White seized her wrist that held the music box and behind her, her emotionless pearl had pinned Pink's pearl down. Pink looked back at her pearl desperately._

 _"No! Don't!" she cried. "Don't hurt her!"_

 _White stared down at her firmly, fingers clutching her wrist tightly. Her gaze never wavered, even when she dropped the music box into her other hand._

 _"Will you do as I tell you?" she asked._

 _Pink nodded tearfully, clutching at the fingers that held her. "I promise! I will!"_

 _White released her. "Thank you." she said._

 _She looked to her pearl and nodded her head once. Immediately, Pink made her way to her pearl and put her arms around her, just as the other pearl released her._

 _"Perhaps I'm partially to blame for this," White said, behind her, "I have spoiled you far too much. You need to remember discipline."_

 _Pink was crying softly, holding her pearl. White's smile disappeared at the sounds. She stared down at her hand, opened it and her eyes slowly widened, as if she'd been shocked by her own actions. She had intended to teach Pink, not frighten her the way she had._

 _"Pink..." she said, evenly now._

 _She reached out, but Pink jerked away from her and rushed from the room in tears. White watched her go, then sighed and rubbed her face with one hand._

[Present]

"We shouldn't have helped them."

The gems in their cells were afraid.

The twin pearl listened to the Citrine's whimpering. She noticed that several of them were passing notes back and forth to one another on pieces of rocks.

"She'll know we did..."

"She knows everything," the pearl replied, with a sigh. "There's no point in trying to hide."

The sound of a door roaring open in the distance had everyone freezing where they sat. Two white Topaz's entered the corridor, eyes perpetually blank and devoid of emotion. The gems in their cells gasped when White soon followed behind them.

She smiled, observing the gems housed within every cell. Several of them recoiled at the sight of her, arms going over their heads. They whimpered, frightened by the sight of her. One of them giggled madly, gesturing to herself.

White pointed a finger at the one-winged Lapis. "That one." she said.

Immediately, the two Topaz's opened the cell and retrieved her. She whimpered, struggled and moaned, thrashing against their grips.

"No, no, please, not again!" she begged. "No!"

The Topaz's dragged her kicking and screaming as White smiled, following behind them.

Meanwhile, Steven jumped through Lion's mane, struggling to fend off the black Robonoid as it passed through the dimension with him. When he was thrown back into the house, struggling with the machine, Garnet had been already upon him.

She punched it swiftly, sending it scattering across the floor in a shower of sparks. Pearl made her way to Steven and the others joined in. Tears of amazement and joy were shed from them and Steven was just happy to find himself in their arms.

"Garnet..." he mumbled, tearfully. "I couldn't bring him back."

"Who?" Garnet asked.

"Lars. He's still there!"

Garnet sighed gently, comforting him in her embrace. "It's alright, Steven. We'll come up with something. I promise."

They embraced him all at once and he started to cry once again, overwhelmed by his trip and everything he'd seen.

And now? Lars was on Homeworld because of him.


	17. Chapter Seventeen: Incubus

**Dovahkiin795** \- Ah, you're right. I had to fix it. I've been rushing through some of these chapters to get them out before the new episodes are released. LOL. Whoops.

~O~

 **Chapter Seventeen: Incubus**

The gems had refused to leave his side.

Steven didn't blame them, really; they were now more protective of him than ever since he'd left to turn himself in to Homeworld. He hadn't told them about what he'd seen in his dream regarding White Diamond. That was probably best to leave alone for the time being. At least until things returned to normal.

Now, he simply laid on the couch with a blanket around him, staring at the black Robonoid that Peridot tinkered around with. The others watched her in silence, perhaps cautious by the sight of the thing. Even Jasper had been oddly silent, offering no choice words. She hadn't taken her eyes away from it.

Peridot had said nothing, which was a concerning factor in itself. Peridot always talked and had something to say about anything, but now, she looked entirely too somber and contemplative.

Finally, she furrowed her brow and sighed, setting a screwdriver down. The others stared at her and Peridot gave them a brief glance before she studied the Robonoid. For all she knew, it wasn't like the ones she'd handled and made. She looked at Steven as he decided to walk up to them and study her work.

"Well, this is an interesting Robonoid," she told them. "I've never seen one like it. Must belong to a gem from another court."

"What court?" Pearl asked, frowning with concern.

"I don't know. If I could take it apart a little more, I might be able to discern its origins from within," Peridot replied. "Just give me a moment."

"Be careful, Peridot." Steven warned.

They watched her carefully, and Peridot picked up the screwdriver again. She attempted to pry open a piece of metal on the Robonoid, but a sudden charge of electricity surged through her from the machine, sending her flying through the air with a pained screech.

She hit the wall harshly and fell to the floor with a groan of pain. The others quickly rose and made their way to her.

"Peridot!" Steven exclaimed, kneeling beside her and helping her stand. "Are you okay?"

"Ugh..." Peridot groaned, holding her head. She swayed a little and blinked, dazed. "What... What was that?"

"I don't know, but we should put it away," Garnet said.

She moved to gather the Robonoid into her hands, but Peridot quickly stood up, rushing to take the machine in her hands.

"Wait!" she insisted. She looked up at Garnet anxiously. "This thing came through Lion's mane! This is our chance to uncover the reasoning behind its presence and even more, why it was determined to get to Steven!"

Steven remembered that well; when Lars had insisted he return to Earth, a black Robonoid had appeared after the others had been destroyed. But this one hadn't been interested in shattering them. It had only been interested in following Steven. The Off-Colors had tried to grab it before Steven dove through Lion's mane, but they'd failed in their efforts.

The Robonoid laid on the kitchen counter later that night. Peridot had fallen asleep nearby with a screwdriver in hand and several tools scattered around her. Pearl was asleep nearby on the couch. Garnet had been resting in a chair. Amethyst was on the floor buried beneath several pillows.

Steven was the only one not asleep.

He couldn't stop thinking about White Diamond. What he'd seen and heard from her still lingered in his mind. The others didn't know and he didn't want to worry them any more than he already had. Connie had been upset with him for leaving without her.

Steven didn't understand that. He was home now, so it was fine. Right?

He sighed quietly. He was so tired. He had to sleep.

He shut his eyes and tried to calm himself.

White Diamond's chuckle filled his head.

O

While everyone slept that night, the house was quiet. The Robonoid at the counter was still, but a small red light suddenly brightened on the tip of it. Peridot stirred in her sleep, giving a distressted murmur. She shifted a little, twitching her hands and mumbling.

She began to dream; finding herself standing in Yellow Diamond's great halls. It was quite a sight, if not for the eerie emptiness inside. Once upon a time, she'd visited this magnificent place only once to deliver reports to her Diamond.

"Hello?" Peridot called, looking around. "Hello!"

Alongside her were several gems that suddenly appeared, heads lowered. Peridot blinked, surprised by the sight of them. They seemed to resemble screens that had been put on pause; their faces were deadened almost.

Peridot murmured thoughtfully, waving her hand in front of their faces, noting no reaction. She tilted her head.

"That's weird." she remarked.

 _"Peridot..."_

The gem looked up, giving a startled cry at the sight of Yellow Diamond sitting at her throne. She looked different from her usual grace and perfection. Her hair was wild and unkept, eyes wide and frightening. She had long, sharp nails that scraped the arm rests of her throne. The hems of her uniform were frayed.

Peridot was frightened. Not at all awestruck to be in her presence as she'd once been. "M-My Diamond." she stammered.

 _Scrape...scrape..._

The nail continued to scratch the throne. It was an agonizing sound, loud in the grand chamber of her hall.

Peridot whimpered and she managed a small giggle, to try and distract herself from the overwhelming dread. "I-I know this looks bad, but I was acting crazy!" she stammered, "I see that now!"

No response. Just an eerie, constant stare. Peridot shuddered under her scrutiny and saluted her, almost forgetting herself.

"I...I just had so much fun." Peridot continued with a helpless smile, withering. "I mean, they're not so bad when you get to know them!"

Yellow Diamond chuckled now, but the noise was by no means friendly. When she spoke, her voice was different. It came from someone she didn't know or recognize.

"Of course you did. We all crave a change to the mundane. The constant." she rumbled, "I don't blame you. What else is to be expected from a genetically inferior specimen?"

Peridot crumbled at the harshness of the words.

"You stand before me in such a state!" she hissed, with a curt wave of her hand. "Where are your limb enhancers? Why do you look that way?"

Peridot looked down and gave a cry, stunned to find her limb enhancers on her form once again. They felt different now; colder and wrong. She grunted as she tried to pluck one of the robotic arms from her.

"No! No, I don't want them on!" she cried.

Yellow Diamond watched her struggle, her grin wide and amused. Something was wrong with her. Peridot tried to pry off the false legs, but they were stuck to her body.

"You can pretend to be one of them, but you will always be half of what you truly are," Yellow Diamond crooned, her voice strangely soft, almost soothing.

It didn't belong to her.

When Peridot looked up again, Yellow Diamond's eyes were white.

O

Outside of the dream, Peridot had fallen from her seat at the counter, whimpering and squirming in fright, lost in the throes of her nightmare. The tiny red light on the Robonoid continued to glow bright.

Pearl began to stir on the couch, gasping softly with fright. She turned and rolled a little on the couch.

In her dream, she was standing in her room, meditating on one of the many waterfalls; she was sitting, her legs crossed and her eyes closed. The room itself was darkened, leaving her alone. Behind her, a shimmering set of silver scales shifted and a soft hissing sound filled the air.

"Pearl... What are you doing, Pearl?"

"Meditating." Pearl replied, as if it were of no consequence.

More scales. A thin, serpent-like body began to circle around Pearl. It spoke in a familiar, almost soothing voice.

"It's getting late, Pearl."

"No," Pearl said, firmly. She opened her eyes, refusing to look at the thing that watched her from the shadows; with white eyes and diamond-shaped irises.

Pearl felt a plunging sensation and she looked down in shock as the waterfall below her began to vanish into darkness. She fell soon afterwards with a scream, moments as the pair of white eyes stared back at her. The calm, contented voice was suddenly filled with malice.

"REST LIKE YOUR PRECIOUS ROSE QUARTZ!" the voice snarled.

Pearl screamed as she fell.

And fell.

When she finally stopped, she had landed in the middle of the gem battlefield, directly on top of a bed of withered roses. Pearl looked down and gave a startled cry before jumping to her feet, running through the battle and avoiding blasts from cannons.

The roar of battle, the sounds of death around her began to transform into sinister laughter. Pearl looked over the horizon, spotting a shadowy form with white eyes. She gave a cry of fright and sprinted back the way she'd come. It laughed cruelly and gave chase, crawling on all fours.

Panting, Pearl struggled to avoid everything around her and flee the terrible shape behind her. Overhead, the moon was pale white, watching her like an eye.

Maybe it actually WAS an eye.

Pearl fled until she spotted the sight of a door. Confused, she stopped in front of it, noticing that it was much like the door at the Temple. She glanced over her shoulder briefly; the shadowy thing wasn't far behind, so she simply stepped through the door and it closed behind her.

Now, she was standing in the middle of a great, expansive white court of Homeworld. Several gems were standing around her, in the middle of conversation. Pearl was shocked to see that these gems were actually pearls like herself.

Pearl frowned, confused as she looked around.

Then, the pearls gave frightened cries and looked up at the sight of White Diamond; she was standing over them like a cruel, towering specter. The other pearls had begun crumbling to their knees, lowering their faces to the floors before White Diamond. Pearl, however, did not. They whimpered with fear, shuddering with everything that they were.

"Kneel before me, Renegade Pearl." White commanded, with a thin, cold smile.

Pearl shook her head, forcing resolve in her voice. "I won't! I'll NEVER kneel again!"

White seemed more amused at first by this proclaimation. But when it seemed that Pearl would truly not kneel before her, that smile slowly slid from her face and she advanced, menace in her steps this time.

"I said...KNEEL!"

The frightening, piercing shout echoed through the chamber and it brought forth whimpers of terror from the pearls around her. Pearl bit her lip, struggled to resist before she fell to one knee. And then, eventually, the other.

White relaxed, smiled calmly once again and even chuckled. "Good. Isn't this much easier for you? This is your natural state. This is what you were made to do. Your sole purpose exists in subservience. Regardless of the little battles you wage in the name of freedom...in the end, this is where you will always be."

Tears poured down Pearl's cheeks. She clutched her fists, wanting with all her might to rise and face against the nightmare weighing her down.

 _Too weak._

 _You're too weak._

O

Amethyst mumbled under her breath, squirming in her sleep. Her brow knotted and she caught the attention of Lion, who came over and tried to nudge her with his nose. It did nothing to awaken her.

In her dream, she saw herself standing in the vast Prime Kindergarten. There were various Quartz's walking around and talking, but they didn't seem to see her at all. They were sharing whispers with one another and it gave Amethyst a chilling feeling.

"Hey." she said, looking up at an amethyst talking with a jasper. "Hey, what's going on?"

No acknowledgement from the Quartz, but her eyes were white, which Amethyst found weird. Still, she continued through the Kindergarten and spotted a statue. Interested, she made her way toward it and found herself facing an image of Pink Diamond.

Amethyst blinked, unsettled by the sight of it. For some reason, it gave her an unpleasant feeling. She didn't know why, as she'd never met Pink Diamond before.

A whisper behind her and she looked over her shoulder.

"Huh." Amethyst murmured.

When she looked back at the statue, her eyes widened.

The statue was now looking directly at her, head turned in an unnatural way. The grin on the statue was frightening as well; Amethyst backed away with an uncomfortable sound.

Then, the eyes and mouth began to leak with black tar, trickling down the statue in sticky rivers. The eyes began to glow white. Amethyst backed away with several frightened sounds as the statue continued...watching her.

A soft, contented chuckle filled the air; it was ethereal, ghostly and seemed to surround Amethyst from all sides. She looked around warily, struggling to find the source.

 _"Pitiful flawed thing. Why, oh why didn't they shatter you?"_

Amethyst looked up sharply at the sight of the Quartz shadows as they suddenly stared down at her, eyes glowing white. They had diamond-shaped irises and they grinned together, watching Amethyst with a collection of cruel smiles.

"No..." Amethyst moaned, backing away.

 _"Look at you." the voice sneered, with contempt, "Misbegotten thing. Shattering you would be an act of mercy."_

Amethyst readied her whip and gave it a loud crack at her side. She faced the Quartz shadows and raised her chin defiantly.

"Bring it on!" she shouted.

She snapped her whip at the Quartz shadows. All the while it happened, the eerie voice continued to laugh; as if her actions did nothing. More Quartz's were pouring from the exit holes to join the fight. Amethyst continued to destroy them, but paused once, exhaustion touching her face.

 _"Fight... Fight... Fight..."_ the voice chanted, in a bizarre falsetto of mockery.

Amethyst groaned with anguish. There were so many...

O

While Steven was dreaming, he found himself in a cloudy realm reminiscent of his mother's room. But there was something different about it. In the distance, he could see pieces of earth floating around with gems and people he'd known his entire life. They were talking, but he couldn't hear what they were saying.

In front of him, Rose Quartz was standing; her back was to him and a gentle breeze was billowing her great curls of pink hair.

Steven felt compelled to go to her. Somehow, his dream brought him forward; he walked slowly, carefully. There was a warmth in the air around him, but a broken note echoed in the back of his mind. A warning about the approach.

"Mom?" he said, hesitantly.

Rose didn't turn around, so Steven continued moving forward until he was close enough to reach out and touch her arm.

As soon as he did, she turned and Steven gave a startled cry.

Rose had no face. It was nothing more than a blank pink canvas.

Steven backed away, frightened. Rose started advancing toward him and he produced his shield, tossing it at her with a shout.

"No! Stay BACK!" he cried.

It struck Rose across her midsection, sending her falling backwards in an almost painful manner. Steven winced sharply, watching as Rose fell flat on her back.

Then, he stared down at his shield and his eyes widened in horror. Why had he done that? What made him attack her that way?

 _"Steven..."_

He looked up toward Rose, who suddenly stiffened. She sat straight up, rising to her feet before stalking toward Steven again. He yelped in fright and backed away, moments as Rose's body began to contort. Her arms lengthened. Her legs followed and were replaced with black, high-heeled boots. Her head stretched and white hair began to sprout from her head.

Steven could only stare, mouth agape as Rose stretched taller. And taller.

Then, her head was replaced with White Diamond's and the being cackled wickedly. Steven cried out in fright and rolled out of the way to avoid the black claw-like nails that came crashing down upon him. Steven turned and ran.

White Diamond pursued him, laughing.

Steven continued to run until he spotted a door marked with a broken Diamond Authority logo. He quickly opened it and dove through, moments as White Diamond's hand swooped in to grab him. He stumbled through a dark room before finally hitting his back against a counter.

Steven groaned, blinked and looked around, surprised to find himself in The Big Donut. The windows were covered in ice. Frowning, he approached and peered through them as much as he could. He didn't see White Diamond anywhere.

"What's going on?" he wondered, frightened.

A gentle chuckle filled the air and Steven looked up where the door was that he'd fallen through. It levitated on the ceiling of The Big Donut and he couldn't see anything anymore from it. Unnerved, he made his way to the door of the store and pushed it open.

Bits of ice fell away and he found himself on the street of Beach City. It was night and the stars shone brightly overhead. He saw no sign of White Diamond or anyone else.

Slowly, he started forward.

O

"Hello?" Steven called. "Hey, White Diamond!"

He didn't see her, but heard the sound of her chuckle from afar, as if she took great amusement in the entire game.

 _"You don't have to hide from me."_

Steven tried to make an effort to ignore her. He was going to find answers, the same as before. And if this was still a dream, he couldn't be hurt in it. White Diamond was just trying to scare him. Sure, it was working, but he had to fight it.

He walked until he noticed several people from Beach City. They were standing perfectly still, faces blank and devoid of emotion. Steven approached Sadie, who was in the middle of carrying a box of donuts. He waved a hand in front of her face.

"Sadie?" he said.

He saw Lars appear in a swirl of black smoke, in mid-walk nearby. Steven's features filled with anguish and he was reminded of his friend lost on Homeworld. He approached the image and reached out, but a chuckle from White Diamond froze him. He looked up, horrified to see the diamond looming over him from the shadows.

"No! Leave me alone!" he shouted, throwing his shield at her.

It struck White Diamond in the face. She recoiled with a pained grunt, holding her left eye with one hand. Steven looked stunned to see that it had harmed her; he hadn't expected it to actually hurt. Her eye was shadowed in pain and she grimaced.

Then, she looked down at Steven and her mouth stretched up into an eerie, almost skeletal grin. She lowered her arm and leaned forward slightly, still grinning.

"You cannot harm me, child. I am not some common gem you cast away." she crooned.

Steven whimpered with fright. White Diamond took one step forward, the sound of her heel hitting concrete echoing loudly in the air. She walked forward stiffly, like a toy soldier. Steven continued backing away from her, forcing resolve in his voice.

"What can be gained from your actions? What drives you to protect the dead?" White crooned, gesturing to the images of familiar faces and friends. "You are the warrior of a weak and dying Rebellion - a Rebellion that is the true evil."

She raised one foot and crushed it down upon an image of Mayor Dewey, dispelling him into dust. Steven gave a yelp, his hands going over his mouth. His eyes brimmed at the sight as White Diamond began to crush each and every image.

Another contented chuckle. "Oh, I know. Is what drives you your need to protect those who would hate you if they knew what you truly were?"

Steven struggled to calm himself; he shook his head rapidly and White continued to watch with a wicked grin.

"No?" she crooned. "Is it not the will of humankind to condemn that which they fear? To hunt it relentlessly until it is destroyed?"

Steven looked surprised now. "Fear?"

He was reminded of how the Diamonds often shattered gems who fused, how they destroyed corrupted ones...and the Off-Colors. He remembered all of it.

"I think YOU'RE the one who's afraid!" Steven suddenly shouted.

White blinked once. Twice. Her eyes widened at the accusation and she took another menacing step forward.

"What?" she asked, her voice strangely even now.

Steven swallowed thickly. "Yeah! You heard me!"

"I fear nothing, misbegotten thing," she whispered, her voice suddenly shrill.

"Yeah, I think you do!" Steven challenged. "None of this is real! This is just a dream! You can't do anything to me here!"

White tilted her head, voice still unnaturally high. "I can't do anything to you? Arrogant gnat!" she hissed, raising one hand. In her palm, a dangerous, gleaming-white scythe materialized from thin air. "Such vanity! Such pride! I cannot physically harm you, but there are so many other ways to destroy a gem. I could rip your mind in half and leave you a ruined husk!"

Steven turned and ran, mere seconds as the scythe came down upon him. It split the ground in two and he narrowly avoided falling through the crevice in the ground. White Diamond loomed over him with a frightening, high shriek.

Steven rolled out of the way and rushed down the street toward the Temple. White Diamond was in pursuit; a white specter gliding through the air. When Steven rushed inside and slammed the door behind him, he hid behind the counter and looked over it with a yelp. White's eye peered through the window; a diamond-shaped iris swimming in a sea of white.

Steven cried out, nearly falling over when he felt the ground beneath him shake violently. Outside, White Diamond was now a gargantuan being, seizing the house and yanking it free from the Temple's hands. She chuckled, watching the boy inside struggle to maintain his balance.

"This world and everything in it will suffer. And you will have the chance to watch it all fall because of your choices."

O

The storm was strong.

Jasper was running quickly, sprinting through the warped buildings of the colony. She saw faces in the shadows. Gems horribly twisted and deformed, moaning her name. Pleading her for mercy. She tried to shut out the sounds, ignore the reaching arms that swiped at her feet.

 _"Jas...perrr..."_

The moaning was coming from the Diamond Sanctum; the building was covered in rot, ensnared in vines. Rose blossoms covered every inch of it.

Jasper made her way close, drawn by the sick, beseeching call.

 _"J-Jasperrr..."_

She found herself in Pink Diamond's throne room and noticed the roses and thorns that had swallowed up the entire area. She looked in front of her and froze, eyes widening in horror. A trail of pink ooze had formed toward Pink Diamond's throne.

She made her way closer.

The light of her gem cast a glowin the room and first she noticed a slug-like form, then multiple limbs attacked to said form. A thick head of pink hair that draped a veil over a dripping, pink face. Jasper was frozen, unable to move.

 _"J-J-Jasper..."_ the thing spoke, groaning out her words.

Jasper backed away as the enormous thing moved toward her, dragging its enormous body on its long-nailed hands.

 _"Looookkkk aaattttt meeee..."_ it gurgled.

Jasper shook her head, but a large hand wrapped around her, pulling her toward a familiar, wide pink eye. She saw a cracked, sickly set of lips open, revealing sharp, frightening teeth.

 _"Look at me!"_

Jasper was frozen, watching as the creature's other hand pulled back the hair from its face. Jasper's eyes widened and a new look of horror touched her features.

Pink Diamond.

 _"Look what they did to me!"_ she screamed.

O

Connie was knocking on the door of the Temple that morning. She furrowed her brow and waited for someone to answer, but no one did.

"Steven?" she called. "Hey, are you in there?"

She pressed her ear to the window and could make out the sounds of distress coming from inside. Immediately, Connie drew back her leg and kicked the door open, stunned to find the gems and Steven still struggling against their nightmares.

At the center was the Black Robonoid, pulsing with light and life.

She drew out the sword behind her and charged for the machine with a loud yell. Bringing the blade down on the machine, it shattered to splinters. Sparks flew through the air and Connie continued smashing it over and over. Just to be sure.

Connie made her way to Peridot first, shaking the gem. "Peridot! Peridot, wake up!"

Peridot groaned and after a few moments, her eyes fluttered open. She looked around frantically, struggling to regain her senses as Connie moved to wake the others. Peridot looked down at the remains of the Black Robonoid and frowned.

"Steven!" Connie cried, shaking him awake. "Steven, are you okay?"

Steven shuddered, rubbing his head. "I think so."

He looked toward Jasper, making his way to her side. Pearl was also waking and embraced the larger gem to comfort her. She looked toward Steven gravely, obviously shaken from her own dream.

"Are you guys okay, too?" he asked.

Jasper rubbed her face with one hand, but nodded without another word.

"Of course..." Peridot murmured, holding a small metal device in her hand; she'd pulled it from the Robonoid, "A device used to influence dreams."

Pearl blinked, staring at her in confusion. "Wait, what do you mean?"

Peridot turned to them, holding an odd, diamond-shaped piece of metal in her hands. "I've heard of this kind of technology, but I've never seen it before firsthand. It's - "

"White Diamond." Steven interrupted. He glanced at the confused looks from the others. "I saw her. White Diamond. She found Lars and me on Homeworld and chased us down." Off of their horrified faces, he continued anyway. "We managed to escape her in time, but..."

"Why didn't you say anything sooner?" Garnet asked him.

"I didn't want to scare anyone," Steven argued.

Peridot blinked, stunned. "Wait, White Diamond?"

"Yeah. Have you seen her before?" Steven looked at her now.

"No one has." Peridot shrugged her shoulders. "She's not what you might call the most social of the Diamonds. Maybe Era-1 gems may have had a chance to talk with her, but almost all of those in her court don't."

Pearl's hands went to her mouth and she couldn't speak. Her eyes were wide.

"She knows about Steven." Peridot told them, gravely. "Otherwise, she wouldn't have sent this Robonoid after him. She knows about the gems still here on Earth. This isn't over."

Amethyst glanced at the others before looking at Peridot. "So...what do we do now?"

For once, Peridot had no answer.

"I don't know." she said.


	18. Chapter Eighteen: The Messenger

~O~

 **Chapter Eighteen: The Messenger**

Jasper was watching the training that Connie and Steven engaged in with Pearl that early morning. She had suggested training with them so that they could learn from "both sides" of battle. Pearl had agreed that Jasper was right on that fact.

"Alright," Jasper said, stepping into the arena. "Let's see what you got."

Connie and Steven looked at each other, then to Jasper. "What do you mean?" Connie asked.

"I want you to come at me with everything you got," Jasper told her. "Hold nothing back."

Steven and Connie nodded. They looked at each other, took their hands and fused into Stevonnie. Jasper watched them with a smirk. Her helmet appeared on her head and she stood in a crouch. Stevonnie smiled back and charged with a yell.

Pearl watched them worriedly.

"Jasper, remember," she said, "Don't hurt them."

Jasper grunted, struggling to hold back Stevonnie by their arms. "You think the enemy is going to hold back?" she hissed. "No, they need to be ready for ANYTHING!"

She heaved Stevonnie from her, but the fusion charged again.

Stevonnie grabbed her and Jasper spun, attempting to flip them again. Stevonnie was ready. They kicked their leg out, knocking the backs of Jasper's knees. She lost her footing and Stevonnie laughed with delight as Jasper went down.

Pearl leaned down to Jasper, smirking. "You silly idiot."

Jasper smirked crookedly at her. "I'm making progress then. I used to be a clod."

Pearl chuckled and gave her a kiss on her forehead. Hearing her joke like that after so much had happened in the past was such a wonderful thing to her. Jasper smiled and bumped her gem against her; an affectionate gesture.

"Uh, guys?" Stevonnie said. "Training?"

Pearl laughed, stepping back. "Oh! Yes, of course."

Shortly afterwards, Stevonnie observed Pearl and Jasper sparring together, but eventually began to focus on other things. Steven in the fusion spoke more now.

"I tried talking to Sadie about it..."

"And?" Connie spoke more now. "How did she take it?"

"Not well..."

Stevonnie sighed softly - a reflection of Connie's half of the fusion - and they watched the other two gems.

"Jasper's okay?"

"She passed out after we got back. She hasn't talked about it since..."

Stevonnie looked at Jasper as the gem collapsed onto her back. She was laughing and wrestling around with Pearl. Both gems seemed to be doing okay now. Still, Jasper had a way of concealing how she really felt. Stevonnie had come together, bringing both Steven and Connie's troubles with them.

Meanwhile, Garnet, Peridot and Amethyst had been searching a gem facility all morning. Amethyst was getting bored with the trip and absently kicked a statue that had fallen.

"Garnet, we've been here all morning," she protested, "There's nothing here."

"No." Garnet told her, "There's a gem here. I saw it. Jasper and Pearl have training today with Stevonnie. We need to find it, Amethyst."

"Fine." Amethyst groaned.

She looked down at Peridot now. "I can't believe you decided to come with us."

Peridot murmured thoughtfully. "This facility was used primarily for research. While ancient, the tools abandoned here would serve a function." she explained, "And I don't think any of you know what to look for should you find anything of particular use."

Garnet approached a dust-covered capsule and frowned, wiping it down. Inside housed a bright pink gemstone. She reached up and took the capsule from its place. Could this have been the gem she sensed? It was strange. She looked around and noticed various other capsules lining the walls. They were all empty except for this one. Was this facility used to produce them?

"Peridot?" Garnet approached her, carrying the capsule. "Do you know what sort of gem this is?"

Peridot turned and her eyes widened in surprise. "Garnet, give me that!"

Garnet shrugged and handed the container over to her. Peridot studied the gem within for a long moment before she spoke.

"This is a Spinel! I thought they'd disappeared in the war!" She looked up at Garnet with a grin. "Do you know what this means?"

Amethyst frowned. "No."

"Spinels were gems used before the war!" Peridot looked amazed now. "Many gems in high status used them to deliver messages from colony to colony! What we are holding right now is a gem older than all of us! With a history of Era-One Gem Life in our hands!"

Amethyst tapped the glass and looked surprised. "So what do we do?"

"We should take her to the others. She'll have stories to tell!"

"And if she's corrupted?" Amethyst asked.

Peridot studied the capsules lining the walls. "This facility was likely used to transport the Spinel class." she said, "One must have been forgotten in the chaos of the war. It's highly unlikely she would be given the protective cover around her gem. We'll be fine."

O

Peridot quickly called the others to the barn.

"I've brought all of you here today because I have discovered something extraordinary today. Something that may have the answers that we have sought for thousands of years." she announced.

A few exchanged glances from them.

Peridot held up the container that housed the Spinel. "As gem history tells us, this gem was used as a messenger for Pink Diamond!"

They gasped collectively. Pearl's eyes widened.

"Really?" she gasped, amazed.

"Yes! This gem was being held in a facility!" Peridot told them. "If we release her, she may hold the answers to secrets that we need."

"What?" Pearl exclaimed. She looked at Garnet now. "Are you sure, Garnet? What if it's a trap?"

"It's a Spinel, Pearl." Peridot quipped. "The likelihood of her being able to form any kind of trap is like an Earth dog being able to walk on two legs."

Lapis raised an eyebrow. "You phrased that really weird. But I get what you're saying."

Garnet looked at Peridot and nodded. "Alright. Open it up. We're ready."

Jasper swallowed thickly, somehow a bit on edge at the idea of meeting another gem who was made for Pink Diamond. Not just any gem, but one of her messengers. Though lower in social status, a Spinel was sure to hold secrets about the war that Jasper herself didn't know.

Peridot opened the canister and a hiss escaped it. She set the gem onto the grass and almost immediately, it began to glow. Arms were produced first, then legs. Short, wavy hair and a bright pink body...

A soft gasp from the gem laying there. Her gemstone rested on the palm of her hand. Her body was thin, much like Pearl. She wore a red and pink tight uniform that bore the symbol of Pink Diamond on her abdomen.

When she opened her eyes, they were bright pink.

"Ugh..." her voice groaned.

She sat up, stretched and her joints popped.

"Whoo! What a NAP!" Spinel sighed, smiling in satisfaction. "That has got to be the best nap in the universe!" She noticed the others staring at her and smiled cheerfully, giving them a wave. "Hi there. I'm Spinel 5-3F2 Cut-6FP. But my friends just call me Spinel for short."

Peridot leaned down to Pearl, whispering with a smirk in her voice. "Told you."

Spinel looked around curiously. She wandered into the barn. "Oh! This is a nice little base! Not very big, but size isn't what matters, am I right?"

They could hear her chatting constantly inside.

Spinel was inspecting the tarp when the others walked in. "Ooh, the colors are nice! Very vibrant, really stands out. I love it!"

"Spinel." Garnet addressed her.

Spinel turned. She stared at Garnet curiously, looking her up and down before gesturing with a finger. "Sooo... Why is she fused right now? Is there a fight going on?" She looked beyond her. "There's a fight going on, isn't there? Should I be running?"

"No." Jasper spoke now, addressing her. "There's no fight. You're here on Earth and we need answers from you. Like why you were kept in that container."

"Container?" Spinel leaned her head to one side, spotting the empty container in Peridot's hands. "Uh. I don't... I was in there?"

Steven nodded. "Yeah?"

Spinel looked confused. She shook her head. "Huh. That's weird..."

Steven tilted his head. "Why is it weird?"

Spinel rubbed her head with one hand. "I mean, I can't remember but, I know I..." Suddenly, her eyes widened, as if she had just remembered something. "My Diamond. Please, I need to see my Diamond."

The others looked at each other uneasily. Jasper's features smoothed out and she fought the hot lump in her throat. She shut her eyes for a moment before shaking her head.

"We can't." she said.

"Why?" Spinel's voice filled with fear. "Why can't you?"

"She's gone."

"What? Where's she gone?"

O

They returned to that place.

Jasper hadn't visited the place where Pink Diamond's palanquin had been broken down, left to the elements of the human world. Here she was again, showing another gem who had belonged to Pink Diamond the fate their maker had endured.

"This isn't right!" Spinel cried. "It can't be! I just... I was here!"

Jasper sighed. "It's here. I took you back to this..." She struggled with herself now. "...this gem-forsaken place to show you the truth."

Spinel was almost at tears. "My Diamond!" she shouted, refusing to acknowledge it, "My Diamond, your Spinel's here! It's - "

Jasper scowled, approaching her and taking her by the arms, giving her a shake. "Stop it!" she ordered. "She's gone. She's been shattered and nothing's going to change that!"

Spinel struggled against her. "No!"

"Listen to me!" Jasper shouted so loudly, it startled the others standing behind her. Her yellow eyes practically glowed with all her ferocity and her teeth flashed as she shouted in Spinel's face. "PINK DIAMOND IS GONE! SHE'S GONE! WE. LOST!"

Spinel's eyes were wide, frightened. She trembled, tears slowly falling from her cheeks. Jasper's furious look softened to a degree. She glanced down at the hands that gripped Spinel's thin, bony shoulders before she eventually released her.

Pearl didn't know what to say. She was afraid to say anything.

Oddly enough, no one had said anything either. The only sounds were Spinel's soft crying.

O

"She hasn't left the barn for a while."

Steven, Jasper and Pearl stood outside of the barn. Spinel had been hiding in the loft and refused to move. Pearl was concerned about the situation entirely. But she was more surprised by the fact that Jasper had been the strong person in the situation. Perhaps after all this time, she had come to accept what had happened.

They walked into the barn and looked around.

"Spinel?" Steven said. "We know you're in here."

"No, you don't." Spinel responded, quietly from the loft.

Pearl sighed. "You can't stay up there forever."

"I can too. Watch me." Spinel muttered, a little bitter in her response.

Steven looked at the other two. "Hold on, I'm going to go up there. Let me try talking to her."

He scaled the ladder and stepped up into the loft. A few piles of hay were laying there as well as collections of Lapis and Peridot's "Meepmorps".

"Spinel?" Steven said.

He saw movement in the hay and approached, parting some of it to see Spinel staring back at her. She scowled, covering herself once again.

"Spinel, you can't stay in there forever." Steven protested.

"I failed my Diamond. Don't look at me..."

Steven frowned. "How did you fail her?"

"I don't remember. All I know is that I was supposed to give her a message, but..." Spinel groaned in frustration. "I can't remember any of it!"

Steven sat down and he felt sympathy when he heard soft crying. His mind went to his mother and he could think only on how many gems she'd hurt. How had it come to this? How had the figure he'd revered been revealed to be so...cruel?

"Spinel, we can help you remember, but you have to let us." Steven told her.

Spinel was silent, possibly contemplating the offer. "You seem nice." she replied, hesitantly. "And you set me free from that container..."

"That was Peridot but...yeah." Steven said, with a small laugh.

"I can't remember anything."

"That's okay. We can go as slow as you need."

Spinel stuck her head out for a few moments. Her eyes looked red, as if she'd spent hours crying. She glanced down briefly, considering her options.

"Okay."

She took Steven's offered hand and looked at him curiously.

"I've never seen a half-breed like you before," she said.

Steven laughed gently. "I get that a lot."

O

Spinel sat on the couch in the living room, eyes wandering about. She uttered a few "oo's" and "ahh's" at what she was seeing. It seemed that the human architecture impressed her more than disgusted her; as most Homeworld gems were known to feel.

"Spinel."

Jasper sat down across from her and she straightened, giving her a proper salute. Jasper shook her head, waving her off.

"Don't do that." she ordered. "I don't want to waste time. I want us to start working on your memories. Anything you can remember from before."

Spinel pursed her lips thoughtfully and struggled to remember; her ridiculous facial strain would have been funny any other time, but Jasper was being serious. She didn't want to waste any time in any way. Anything that could help her better understand the reason for Rose Quartz's rebellion and shattering her Diamond was far more important than anything else.

"I can't." Spinel protested, "I'm really trying."

Jasper punched the table, making her jump. "TRY HARDER!"

"Jasper!" Steven quickly made his way over to the scene. "Jasper, easy..."

Jasper snorted gruffly, but sighed and relaxed. This wasn't the right way to act around a fellow gem of her Diamond's court. Clearing her throat, she exhaled and sat back a little, watching as Steven took a seat beside Spinel.

"She just wants to know everything the same as you do," Steven assured her.

Spinel nodded in agreement, still watching Jasper warily. "Right..."

Later that day, Pearl opened the fridge door and looked around for something to prepare for supper. She noticed a pomegranate and picked it up. She felt a tapping on her head, a light petting of sorts. Glancing up, she noticed Spinel crouched on top of the fridge, much like Lion did.

"What's that? An apple?" she asked, pointing at the pomegranate in Pearl's hand.

Pearl growled in frustration and shut the door. "Listen, I understand you have no memory of what transpired before your imprisonment in that capsule, but don't think I'm not going to watch you."

Spinel furrowed her brow, tilting her head a little. "Have we met before?"

Pearl wavered a bit, scowling. "What? No!"

"It's weird. Your voice is familiar." Spinel said, scaling down the fridge with the grace of a frog. She was able to maneuver in a way that should have been impossible. "I know pearls all have the same voice, but yours is... I don't know. Different."

Pearl snorted, turning away from her. "I've never met you before in my life."

"You sure? Because sometimes, I get these weird itches in my gem and I just think - "

"Yes, I'm sure." Pearl interrupted.

Spinel thought about that for a moment. She made a sound before turning. "Huh."

O

Having Spinel around was a different change.

She constantly asked a lot of questions about Earth, humans and the things the Crystal Gems did. All of them made sure she didn't know completely about the Rebellion and what their role had been in it. After all, Spinel had secrets to tell, despite her...personality. They didn't want to risk losing her or having her flee from them.

While they sat together in the living room, Spinel was sharing stories with the Crystal Gems while Jasper was in the kitchen, making herself a snack.

"...And let me tell ya', Pink Diamond was THE Diamond of them all!" Spinel said, "I mean, you will never see another gem light up the room the way she did. Also, that was good since, like, every gem I ever crossed paths with was so high-strung half of the time. Always 'doom this' and 'not now, Spinel, I have a meeting, please stop bothering me'."

Peridot quipped softly to Steven. "As I said before; Pink Spinel's were used as Messengers by Pink Diamond and they are supposed to be the fastest runners on Homeworld - though a lot of gems will say they have the WORST attention span."

Spinel pointed at her. "Hey, I heard that, you rude green goblin. Plus, I prefer the term 'Diplomatic Envoy'." She smiled now. "It sounds cool."

Peridot scowled and stood up, pointing a finger in her face. "Listen, I spoke up for you. I suggested that you could be of used to us to uncover the secrets of the shattered Pink Diamond. But if all you're going to do is distract yourself with these childish - "

Steven stepped between them, raising two hands. "Guys, stop fighting!" he insisted. "Look, Spinel is a good gem, I think we need to be patient with her."

Spinel smiled down at Peridot. "Yeah! Listen to what he's saying."

Peridot scoffed.

Spinel noticed Pearl joining Jasper in the kitchen. She watched as they seemed to talk about something, share an embrace and a kiss. When they parted, Spinel was now standing on the other side of the counter, smiling brightly.

"Aww, that's really nice." she told them. "I mean, it's really good to see Jasper with someone."

Jasper frowned at her. "You knew me?"

Spinel grinned, laughing as if the question was completely absurd. When Jasper didn't seem to comprehend the reason for her laughter, she explained.

"You're a legend!" she told her. She looked at Pearl. "You should have heard the way gems talked her up! It was like 'Whoa! I hope I can meet this legend someday!"

Pearl smiled at Jasper, laying a hand on her shoulder.

"But I mean, Jasper with a Pearl?" Spinel chuckled, smiling with amazement. "It's amazing."

Pearl was immediately on the defense. She couldn't help it. "So do you have a problem with us being together?" she asked, her voice harder.

Spinel held up two hands. "Me? No! No, no, no. Why would I have a problem with it? It's not my business if Stripes and Super Servant want to bond! No, why would it be my business?"

"Because it...usually is?" Pearl looked a little surprised by her acceptance. "Every gem from Homeworld has made it their point to look at us as an abomination. So you'll forgive me for feeling a bit on guard when it's brought up."

Spinel's features were pensive for a moment. Then, she exhaled and shook her head. "Well, you couldn't have met very nice gems, then."

The two looked at each other. Well, that was for certain.

O

Steven typed a message to Connie on his phone before Spinel leaned over curiously. "Ooh, are you sending a message?" she asked. She noticed a few emoji and grinned. "Aww, those are cute! What are they?"

"They're called emoticons, Spinel." Steven explained. "You send them in messages if you want. They're kind of silly, but they can better emphasize messages."

Spinel pointed at one. "Aww, I like the cat. That's so cute. Oh! Is that supposed to be an alien? Humans have a weird idea of what aliens are supposed to look like. They don't look like that, I promise you. I have been to a LOT of planets."

Steven chuckled and set the phone down. "You've seen a lot of stuff, huh?"

"Definitely. As a Messenger, it was my job to SPRINT across galaxies with important messages," Spinel told him, making ridiculous hand gestures.

"So...kind of like a mailman?"

"I have NO IDEA what a mailman is."

While they were talking, Jasper was lying in the pool of water in Pearl's room with the other gem draped over her chest. They were attempting to relax a little together.

"Are you okay?" Pearl asked, almost hesitantly.

"I'm fine. Why?"

"You're quiet."

Jasper looked up at her skeptically. Pearl managed a small chuckle. "What?" she said.

"I'm just thinking."

"You can talk to me about it."

Jasper shut her eyes, features smoothing out a little. "If Spinel knows something about why Pink Diamond was shattered, I'd want to know everything. But..."

That made Pearl look at her worriedly. "But?"

"What if what I learn is worse than what I thought?" Jasper stared at Pearl and it was obvious that she was expecting an answer.

Pearl exhaled slowly. "The point of knowing the truth is the most important part, Jasper. That'll grant you closure. Permanently."

Jasper had to agree. "Yeah."

Pearl lightly toyed with a lock of Jasper's hair. "I just hope you remember that whatever we learn, it won't change anything between us."

"It won't." Jasper assured her.

Pearl smiled and she seemed more relieved to hear that than Jasper thought she would. But Pearl was paranoid about many things. Jasper could relate.

"Can I have a kiss?" Pearl's voice dripped with an affectionate drawl.

Jasper chuckled and pulled her closer. They shared a kiss.

Outside the room, Spinel was pacing back and forth.

"What if we retrace your steps?" Steven suggested. "All the places you visited before you were poofed? Maybe that could work?"

Spinel thought about it. "Hmm, there are a lot of places I visited..."

"We can do it." Steven said. "Jasper and Pearl can come with us."

Spinel seemed doubtful. "Jasper?"

"Yeah... What's wrong?"

"She...scares me." Spinel told him, uncertainly. "And the pearl? I don't know. I feel like I remember her voice from somewhere, but she swears we never met before." She groaned in frustration, folded her arms over her face and slumped to the floor. "Why am I so dumb?"

Steven made a surprised sound. "You're not dumb."

"All Spinel's are dumb. No getting around that."

"No, you're not dumb. I think you're pretty cool."

Spinel peeked one eye out at him from her arm. "Really?"

"Sure! You seem nice and I don't meet many gems who love Earth before I have to teach them about it," Steven joked, chuckling.

Spinel sat up quickly. "Are you kidding? I love Earth! All of Pink Diamond's court loved this planet. Even Pink Diamond herself."

"Really?"

Steven was amazed to hear that a Diamond felt love for Earth. From what he had learned and heard of, the Diamonds only sought to hollow it out and destroy all life on it. The idea of any Diamond thinking otherwise was so strange.

"Yeah! I brought back a..." She snapped her fingers a bit in an effort to remember. "Uh, what do you call those things with four legs and a lot of hair? They make noises at humans?"

"A...dog?" Steven guessed.

Spinel grinned, pointing. "That's it! A dog!"

Steven laughed a little, trying to imagine a dog running around a Diamond's court, barking loudly at everything it saw. But then it led up to a lot of questions. Why was she shattered if that was the truth? Just more of a reason for him to learn.

O

Spinel had warped to the Prime Kindergarten with Pearl, Jasper and Steven. She was talking non-stop for hours the entire time.

"...also, I remember this meeting I went to, but it was really boring, so I didn't pay attention too much," Spinel chatted. "And then, I think Blue Diamond was yelling, which is really weird because she doesn't yell too much, so when she does, it's really scary."

She looked around at the Prime Kindergarten and grinned. "Whoa! Yeah, I remember this place! I have DEFINITELY been here before!"

Jasper sighed, frowning. "Okay, so..."

Spinel cupped her mouth. "Echo!" she yelled.

Her voice carried through the canyon and she chuckled. "I always loved doing that when I came here."

"Spinel, focus." Pearl told her, "Now, try and remember what you can."

Spinel nodded. "You're right. Sorry."

She paced around the Kindergarten, stopping once to touch an Injector leg. A moment of contemplation. A grunt of frustration and a flash of memory in her head.

"I...I was here before. I think this was the first place I stopped to." she said. "I was...running from something. I just can't...remember what it was."

Steven nodded reassuringly. "That's okay. Take your time."

Spinel smiled down at him before she pursed her lips with determination. "I was here for a while..." she continued, struggling to recall, but her mind was filled with nothing more than static.

"This is a waste of time." Jasper snapped.

Steven looked up at her now. "Jasper, come on. She's probably been in that container for a while. We should be patient with her."

Jasper just scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Let's go somewhere else." Spinel offered, attempting to put a positive note on the situation. "Maybe that might help."

Pearl nodded. "Very well."

And so it went the entire morning. They traveled from one place to the next; each location was a particularly familiar place of gem architecture. They even returned to the Hall of Mirrors and Spinel mentioned knowing a gem named "Petalite".

Immediately, the reactions from the others were painful.

"How do you know her?" Jasper asked.

Spinel smiled. "We used to be best friends! What? You didn't think gems from other Diamond courts could be friends? Where is she anyway?"

She cupped her mouth, calling into the ruined hall. "Hey! Petalite! Are you in here? Look, you've really let the place go. We need to talk about this."

Pearl sighed. "Spinel. Petalite was corrupted." she told her. "And we had to bubble her."

Spinel's smile disappeared. "Oh..."

"I'm sorry, she left us no choice. She attacked us and we had to bubble her away for her safety and ours." Pearl explained.

"Oh." Spinel glanced down sadly. She sighed, thought about that for a moment.

"Please, Spinel. There was no other way."

Spinel looked at her, attempted to be strong about it and managed a sad smile. "Hey, come on. I mean, what are you going to do about that, huh? Things happen, right?" she said. "I just hope that she was given a mercy poof."

The others looked at each other, grimacing.

More or less.

O

"I'm sorry, I wasn't really helpful today."

They made their way around the temple that evening. Steven had assured Spinel that they would keep trying to help her remember anything she needed to know.

"Well, we should get some sleep." Steven told her. "We can try again tomorrow."

He climbed into bed and Spinel turned, coming face-to-face with Lion. He gave her a low, rumbling growl and she smiled.

"Ooh, nice cat!" she said, "Is he yours?"

Steven tucked himself into bed. "Yes. Now I need to sleep, Spinel."

Spinel opened Lion's mouth to peer inside at the rows of sharp teeth. "Ooh!"

Steven shut his eyes and tried to sleep, but Spinel began to meander about downstairs and he sighed.

"Spinel..." he protested.

"Right. Sleep. Humans need that." Spinel flashed him a thumbs up. "Got you. I'm gonna sleep too."

Steven watched as she paced around the room, snuggled beneath a blanket on the couch. He started to say something, but she immediately drifted off to sleep quicker than he ever expected her to.

He sighed with relief and collapsed into bed.

He really couldn't sleep much though.

All Steven could think about was what had been going on and what he was going to do later about it.


	19. Chapter Nineteen: The Art of Gift Giving

~O~

 **Chapter Nineteen: The Art of Gift Giving**

Spinel was wide awake the next morning.

She whistled cheerfully, stretching and flexing her legs while standing on the porch. She smiled and took a deep breath, brightening when she saw Steven step outside.

"Hey!" she said, "Good morning! Oh! I brought you something!"

Steven looked surprised when Spinel handed him something wrapped up in paper. Steven brightened and stared down at. The wrapper was written in French.

"Pearl said you like Cookie Cats, so these are from France!" she told him, "I got one when I went on my morning jog!"

Steven's eyes widened in surprise. "Whoa, really? They still have those?"

Spinel beamed. "Yep!"

"Thanks!" Steven unwrapped it and began to eat. "Oh, I really missed these! Thank you, Spinel!"

Spinel looked happy with his joy in the treat.

"Hey, Spinel, can I ask you something?" Steven asked.

"Sure!"

"Do you know White Diamond?" Steven asked, between chews.

Spinel's smile disappeared somewhat. Her eyes seemed distant now, as she tried to recall the memory of the other Diamond.

O

Pearl was skating effortlessly on the ice that day.

The others were joining in on the ice skating games. It was nice to have a moment out with one another after everything that had happened on Homeworld. Steven couldn't blame anyone for not wanting to leave his side for a moment either; he'd realized what his departure had done to most of them.

Pearl was gliding effortlessly and circled Jasper, whose arms swayed back and forth in an effort to maintain balance. She was growling in frustration.

"Hello, dear." Pearl crooned.

Jasper scoffed. "Don't taunt me, Pearl."

She almost fell, but Pearl gently straightened her back, kicked her legs out a bit and helped her in an appropriate position.

"Straighten your back. Stars, you look like a suffering Earth animal." she joked.

Spinel quickly rushed away, but returned with hot chocolate in two containers. "I have hot chocolate for my two favorite humans!" she announced.

Steven and Connie made their way over to her, smiling with relief. They were bundled up in winter clothes and were practicing building snow forts.

"Thanks, Spinel!" Steven said.

Spinel smiled. "No problem! Humans have to stay warm. I always forget that."

Connie took a sip of her chocolate, winced and gave Spinel a funny look.

"Spinel? Did you make this yourself?" she asked.

Spinel beamed with pride. "Yep!" she told them. "I don't know why humans use those small packages when there's a whole container of 'baking chocolate' on the shelves."

Connie and Steven made a face, forced a few grins and took sips of their hot chocolate as not to hurt Spinel's feelings.

Spinel watched Jasper and Pearl on the ice and she smiled. "Wow, look at that," she told the two humans, "That is nice. So sweet seeing them together again."

Connie looked up at her. "Spinel, haven't you ever had someone?"

Spinel wavered a bit before laughing, as if Connie had asked the most ridiculous question in the world. When she noticed the odd looks from the humans, she chuckled, shaking her head.

"Of course not! I'm a messenger. Messengers don't have consorts!" she said, as if they should have known that. "Plus..." She waved it off and her voice softened a bit. "No gem would wanna be with a big dummy like me."

"That's not true!" Steven insisted. "You're not dumb."

"Spinel's are dumb, Steven." Spinel argued, though still smiling. "That's how we're supposed to be. That's how it's always supposed to be."

"Well, look at us." Connie gestured to herself, then to the others. "Do you think this is how it's supposed to be?"

Spinel seemed to think about that, but not before she was hit dead on by an enormous snow ball. Amethyst cackled wildly from afar, pointing in their direction. Spinel's thin, spider legs were sticking out of the pile of snow.

"Nice catch, Spinel!" Amethyst joked.

Spinel stuck her head out from the snow with a grin.

"Snowball fight!"

Pearl and Jasper heard the cry just seconds before they were pelted with snowballs from Amethyst. They took cover behind a picnic table that Jasper chosen to flip over. Garnet had been standing amid the flurry of snowballs before speaking.

"I am NOT getting into a snow war with any of you," she said.

A snowball pelted her in the face.

Garnet looked toward Spinel, Steven and Connie. Spinel's eyes widened and she pointed at Steven. He looked at her, frowning.

"Hey!" he protested.

They took cover as Garnet began flinging snowballs at them with all her usual skill. Jasper darted behind a tree where Amethyst had chosen to hide. She scoffed in disbelief.

"What is the point of this training?" she demanded.

Amethyst laughed. "Dude, it's not training. It's just fun."

Before they knew it, Stevonnie was joining the fight and they were flinging snowballs at the gems with a shout of glee.

"Fusion snow wars!" Spinel cried, cupping her mouth.

Garnet and Pearl looked at each other.

"Oh, this is absurd!" Pearl griped, staring at Garnet now, "Why would we need to fuse for a ridiculous snowball fight?"

"Duck." Garnet said.

"What? I don't think ducks have anything to do with - OOF!"

Pearl didn't finish when a snowball hit her in the face.

O

Snowballs were thrown through the air.

Sardonyx caught several of them in her many arms. She tutted, shaking her head with disappointment. "Now now, snow is not for this purpose." she said.

She grinned now, scooping larger versions of the snowballs she had caught into her hands.

"What you need is far more precise motions," Sardonyx called out, "For an equal distribution of sheer force and might!"

Stevonnie took cover behind a hill, laughing. "You gotta do better than that, Sardonyx!" they called.

Sardonyx chuckled, delight gleaming in her eyes. "I intend to, young fusion!"

Amethyst and Jasper were hiding behind a few trees when several snowballs sailed over their heads. Jasper scoffed, but she looked determined. She smirked down at Amethyst.

"Let's show these fusions what we can do!" she said.

Amethyst looked surprised. "Really?"

"Yeah, let's go!"

Amethyst grinned and took Jasper's hand. "Let's show 'em how the Quartz sisters do it!"

Their bodies disappeared in a flash of white light, drawing the attention of the others. Stevonnie looked stunned and Sardonyx straightened the glasses over her face.

The light grew large in mass, swirled with violet and orange like a tornado. A howl pierced the air and when the smoke cleared, a towering gem stood there, with a loud "Tiger's Eye is back, baby!"

The fusion between Amethyst and Jasper was nothing but raw muscle; orange body with purple stripes, four bright red eyes, long white hair tied in a ponytail and shredded uniform bearing Jasper and Amethyst markings.

No four legs, which was interesting since most of the fusions that Jasper made up formed four legs.

"Whoa!" Spinel exclaimed, staring up at the fusion. "You're huge!"

Tiger's Eye flashed a cheeky grin. "You bet I am, runt!" she said. "And I'm here to give you all a lesson in fighting!"

Sardonyx furrowed her brow slightly, watching the laughter and delight from Tiger's Eye. It was a bit obnoxious to her, if not disconcerting.

Tiger's Eye flexed her muscles, grinning toothily.

"Yes, yes, this is all very nice," Sardonyx said, "Let's carry on, shall we?"

Before they could do anything, the soft sounds of growling drew their attention toward the trees, where two large corrupted gems appeared.

One resembled a horrible mutation of insect and the other looked like one of the many dog-like corruptions that Jasper had captured for her personal army.

"Well, looks like we have trouble," Stevonnie said.

Tiger's Eye stepped forward, punching her fists together. "Let me show you how it's done!" she said, "Step aside!"

Her hands shimmered, forming a pair of knuckles that crackles with electricity. The others watched as she charged forward with a triumphant yell. The insect corruption attempted to snap in her face, but Tiger's Eye shoved her knuckles into its jaws, laughing.

"I don't kiss on the first date, baby!" she hissed.

Sardonyx sighed, staring upwards before her hammer appeared. "Honestly, you two are just too much," she said. "We don't need such ridiculous, brute force. We need careful, expert precision."

She gave a yelp when Tiger's Eye moved in front of her, grabbing the other gem fusion and spinning it like a yo-yo by its tail.

"Come on, short stuff!" she sneered. "Have fun a little!"

Sardonyx frowned and it was the first time Stevonnie saw her look so...discouraged. "I am quite capable of fun, you brutish - "

She cut herself off when Tiger's Eye seized the insect corruption and flipped it backwards, smashing it into the other. When the corruptions attempted to flee, she just grinned and taunted them.

"Aww, running away already? Come on! I know you can do better than that!" she cried.

The corrupted gems raced into the woods, chattering with anguish.

"Cowards!" Tiger's Eye called after them.

Spinel laughed and clapped. "Wow, Tiger's Eye is really cool!" she said.

Sardonyx scoffed, shaking her finger at the smaller gem. "Honestly, this behavior is hardly 'cool', little messenger. What we have here is just another Sugilite."

Tiger's Eye suddenly froze, her features slack with shock at hearing the comparison. She slowly turned, looming over Sardonyx with a burning fire in that red-eyed stare.

"What did you say?" she snarled.

Stevonnie raised two hands to stave off the possible quarrel. "Guys, please," they pleaded, "Tiger's Eye, she didn't mean it. We're just...surprised to see you, that's all."

Tiger's Eye regarded Stevonnie coldly now and any obnoxious, cheerful manner about her was gone. "Don't try to lie to make me feel better!" she spat. "I see what this skinny little beanpole really thinks!" Tiger's Eye showed rows of sharp teeth and glared down at Sardonyx. "Well, who are you to judge anyone?"

Sardonyx pointed a finger in the face of the larger fusion. "Oh please. I know a repeat performance when I see one," she said, calmly. "Come now. We can't have reruns. That's when you start losing the audience's attention."

Tiger's Eye grimaced with rage. "I'll show you, small fry!"

Her knuckles crackled with electricity and she charged. Stevonnie groaned, shaking their head as she watched Sardonyx leap gracefully into the air.

"Here we go again..." they groaned.

"Come on, runt!" Tiger's Eye taunted, crouched like a wild animal ready to pounce.

"Alright!" Stevonnie shouted, stepping between them and raising two hands. "Now, we're not going to fight. Sardonyx didn't mean it, did you, Sardonyx?"

Sardonyx shrugged her shoulders. "Now you know I never say things I don't - "

"DID. You. Sardonyx?" Stevonnie asked again, firmer in their words.

Sardonyx exhaled impatiently. "No, I suppose it wouldn't do to judge a new fusion so quickly. Premature of me. I'll admit it."

"Good." Stevonnie looked up at Tiger's Eye. "We can go back to having fun. Just all of us, okay? You can show us what you're capable of. You're a new fusion, that's all. We can use this time to get used to each other, what do you say?"

Tiger's Eye seemed hesitant for a moment. Then, she smirked. "Fine. Okay. We can have fun chasing after those ugly freaks. I can show all of you how it's done!"

O

Tiger's Eye surged through the woods.

When she spotted the two corruptions that had fled from her, she grinned and lunged, slamming her full weight into them. The others had unfused and watched as Tiger's Eye toyed with her prey as if it were nothing more than a game of proving how strong she was.

"Haha!" she cackled. "Hey, this is fun!"

She looked down at Steven. "You! Go get a camera! This is wall worthy!"

Pearl furrowed her brow as she watched Tiger's Eye continue her ridiculous display. Well, she hadn't expected Amethyst and Jasper to take so well to fusing. In fact, she hadn't expected them to be so attuned to one another.

They were both gems from Earth, so maybe that was a part to play in it.

Two explosions of gem forms being destabilized distracted her toward the current situation; Tiger's Eye was clutching the gems tightly in one set of hands while the other set chose to flex her muscles.

Later that day, Tiger's Eye had chosen not to unfuse. Instead, she spent the better half of the afternoon teaching Steven and Connie a few things about fighting while on the beach. Pearl was watching them from the house.

When they finally unfused, Jasper laughed and wandered into the house. Pearl was cooking dinner for Steven and barely looked up when the others filed in.

"Whoa, Jasper; we have to fuse more often!" Amethyst cried, delighted. "That was AWESOME!"

Jasper smiled, nodding her approval. "Yeah, not bad runt."

She walked up to Pearl, leaned over her with a curious sound. "What are you making?"

"Food." Pearl answered, rather bluntly.

Jasper frowned. "What's with you?"

Pearl sighed and looked up at her, concerned. "Jasper, did you enjoy fusing with Amethyst?"

"Uh...yeah, I suppose?" Jasper didn't seem to understand. "But I thought that's the game we were playing. What's the problem?"

"Did you enjoy fusing with her more than me?"

Jasper's brows rose. She let out a small laugh. "What? Are you... You were jealous?"

"No." Pearl lied. She huffed. "Fine. I guess so. It's just...you took so well to the fusion with her, I just thought that..."

Jasper scoffed, shaking her head. "I like fusing with you more. Because..." Then, she looked a bit uncertain. Even shy. "You know... The...love...thing."

Pearl laughed a little. "I see."

Jasper picked her up in her arms and Pearl gave a yelp. The others watched with laughs and Pearl blushed, pouting a little.

"Okay, enough of this," she said. "Put me down."

That evening, Spinel was sitting with Pearl, Jasper, Amethyst and Steven; they shared stories together, some of battle and others of trips they'd been to around the universe. It eventually lead to a wrestling match between Amethyst and Jasper.

"Oh! Oh, you two!" Pearl muttered, shaking her head and rolling away to avoid them.

Spinel grinned with delight. "You guys are a lot of fun! I don't remember having this much fun before."

Amethyst shapeshifted into Tiger Millionaire and struggled to pin Jasper. "Really, dude? At all?"

"Nope. Not at all." Spinel told her, with a small shrug.

Her features were sullen for a split second, but it caught Amethyst's attention. She furrowed her brow and was distracted enough to have Jasper flip her loudly onto her back. Pearl gave a yelp and caught a small lamp moments from shattering to the floor.

Later that evening when everyone was asleep, Amethyst left her room and found Spinel on the front porch. She tilted her head and stepped outside.

"Hey, what are you doing out here?" she asked, "It's late, dude."

Spinel looked thoughtful for a moment. "What happens when you fuse?"

Amethyst blinked, surprised by the question. "Uh, what do you mean?"

"When you fuse," Spinel said, a thoughtful look touching her face, "What happens?"

"You've never fused before?"

"No. I mean - ah, no," Spinel admitted, with a sheepish laugh, "Not even with other spinels. We weren't supposed to. They told us it was bad." She laughed again, suddenly shy. "But...when you guys fused, it didn't look bad. It looked...really fun."

Amethyst chuckled. "Yeah, it is."

Spinel was thinking about it. She managed another embarrassed laugh. "Oh. Good."

"Hey, you know you can fuse with anyone you want to," Amethyst told her, patting her arm once. "There's no rules here. The Diamonds don't own us anymore."

Spinel murmured thoughtfully.

O

A few of the gems had piled into the van; Jasper, Spinel, Amethyst and Peridot. Connie had found a spot in the back with them as well. Greg was driving.

He looked back at them with amusement. "Uh, everyone comfortable back there?" he asked.

Spinel was lying on Jasper's back, having very little room to rest otherwise. She flashed a thumbs up. "I'm good!" she announced.

Steven smiled at his dad. "You know, it's really great that all of us are going out to the mall for shopping." He looked over his shoulder to them. "You guys can see what it's like!"

Jasper scoffed. "A mall. I'm assuming no one's going to be fighting there?"

"Ahaha. No." Steven told her.

"Then what's the point?" Jasper asked, annoyed.

They arrived at the mall and Greg made an effort to find a parking spot, but it seemed that each one was taken every time he attempted to park the van. Jasper was growing impatient and sighed, slapping her thighs once.

"Stop the van." she ordered.

Greg frowned. "Jasper, I really can't - Wait, what are you doing?"

Jasper stepped out of the van, made her way passed the front of the vehicle. The gems and humans in the car winced at the sound of metal buckling and noticed Jasper picking up a car and moving it aside so that Greg could park in the spot.

"Why do you have to deliberately make things difficult?" she said, frowning.

Greg was sweating a little. "Um, well..." He exhaled. "Alright then."

He pulled into the parking spot and led the gems into the mall. Amethyst watched a few kids fighting one another over a toy, a human wolfing down a slice of pizza and another having a belching contest with his friend.

"Wow, I kinda like this place," she remarked.

"Yes..." Pearl murmured, a little disgusted by the display.

Jasper huffed, not at all impressed.

"Okay, I have a list of presents we need to buy," Greg told them. "Garnet and Lapis are home working on decorating for Thanksgiving. If there's anything on the list you guys can help me with - "

"Why are we shopping this month when the holidays are next month, anyway?" Peridot asked.

"Well, the thing about humans and last-minute shopping is not something ANY of you should ever have to worry about," Greg told her. He laughed sheepishly, then grimaced when he remembered his holiday shopping trips. "Trust me. Black Friday is a day of untold horrors."

Steven smiled up at him. "Hey, we can all go in pairs and help with your list!"

Greg brightened. "Good idea! We can get all the shopping done quick and still have time left." He looked over his shoulder to Jasper, who seemed interested in a Santa statue. "Plus, it'll give the gems some time away from the house for a bit."

Steven nodded.

"Okay, so...who's going to be the one to keep an eye on Spinel?" Peridot quipped.

They looked around and noticed Spinel was gone. A familiar laugh drew their attention toward a Merry-Go-Round where Spinel was happily sitting on one of the horses.

"Spinel will be fine, Peridot." Steven assured her. "Now let's all split up and do our shopping."

Greg offered the gems money as needed before they went their separate ways in the mall.

O

Peridot stared through the glass of an ice cream store, studying each and every flavor before her. Amethyst was also eyeing the ice cream rather hungrily. The cashier behind the counter watched them with a tired expression on his face.

"Ma'am, are you going to buy anything?" he asked.

Amethyst laughed, pointing to each ice cream flavor. "We'll try every flavor!"

The man murmured. "Alright. Would you like to add any toppings?"

Peridot looked awestruck. "There's toppings?"

The man wandered to another counter where there were literally rows upon rows of various toppings; peanuts, jelly beans...

Peridot's eyes widened with delight. "Is this what paradise is?"

Amethyst spoke in equally delighted tones. "Close to it, Perry. Close to it."

Meanwhile, Connie had gone to the bathroom and Jasper was sitting on a bench, going through a catalogue for various gifts to buy your "significant other". She huffed with annoyance. A lot of these trifle offerings seemed useless. Not a single weapon of any kind. To her, it seemed like an insult to your consort.

She glanced up at Pearl, who seemed interested in talking with Steven in another shop. They had decided to choose gifts for each other without the other knowing about them.

A small, male human child wandered over to her out of curiosity and Jasper briefly glanced up. Then, she turned away in her seat, attempting to ignore the child. The human wandered over to face her once more and Jasper raised the catalogue higher to her face.

When it was clear that the human wasn't going to leave, she lowered the catalogue and frowned down at him.

"What?" she snapped.

"I like your tattoos." the boy told her.

"They're not tattoos."

"They're cool."

"They're just the markings of my form, suitable to my gem make."

The boy tilted his head curiously. "What?"

Connie exited the bathroom and walked up to Jasper. "Alright! I'm ready when you are." She looked at the kid curiously.

"You're mom's weird." the boy quipped, wandering off.

Connie raised an eyebrow. "Okay..."

O

Pearl, Steven and Greg were in an electronic's store. Pearl occasionally murmured when she found something interesting or not interesting.

"So, have any ideas of what to get Jasper?" Steven asked, toying with an RC car control.

"Hmm. I don't know. Jasper's not entirely easy to buy for." Pearl told him.

She watched him toy with the RC control before plucking it from his hands. Steven made a sound of protest and she raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry, do we not remember the last time Greg bought you one of these?" she queried.

Steven thought about it.

 _An RC car veered through the house, completely covered with modified guns that fired paintballs and Peridot was cheering triumphantly._

 _"VICTORY IS MINE!" she cried._

 _A single paintball was shot in Pearl's face and she gave a yelp._

Steven laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah, I probably should have hid those from Peridot." he said.

Greg poked his head up from around the corner. "Hey, let's try another shop! I already have Vidalia's gif."

"What did you buy her, dad?" Steven asked.

Greg held up his gift; a boxed stereo system. "Sour Cream burned out her old one when he tried DJ'ing in the house again. Also? Don't tell Yellowtail about that. I'm hoping to replace it before he gets back."

Meanwhile, Spinel was in a pet shop, watching several puppies running around in a kennel. She grinned happily and climbed into the kennel. Amethyst and Peridot noticed this and approached the scene, watching as she received licks and happy jumping from the animals.

"Wow, Spinel..." Peridot quipped.

Spinel grinned up at them. "This is great!" she said. "Can we get a puppy for the temple?"

Amethyst laughed. "Spinel, we have Lion and Pumpkin. Plus, I don't think having a puppy around is a good idea. Too much work when we have the other two."

Spinel laughed and rolled around in the kennel with the small animals bouncing excitedly around her. "Yeah, I guess so." she replied. Another series of giggles. "I'm in my happy place, you guys!"

Peridot and Amethyt watched her with amusement.

"If only everyone can be as happy as this ridiculous dirt bomb," Peridot remarked.

"Hey, I heard that!" Spinel said, from the pile of puppies.

A single white-colored puppy bounced over to her and smothered her with licks.

O

Jasper and Connie wandered through the mall, making an effort to find a gift for Pearl. Connie had already purchased a few things for the list that Greg had given them.

"Have you decided on what you want to get Pearl?" Connie asked.

Jasper frowned thoughtfully. "I don't know."

They entered a store filled with fine art, statues and various other different things. It was called From the Attic and Jasper curled her nose at the name.

"What sort of shop-keeper names their store after storage space?" she quipped.

Connie laughed a little. "Come on." she said, taking Jasper's hand.

While they looked around, Pearl was being helped by a female employee in another store. Greg and Steven had decided to meet her after shopping, to let her decide what she could buy for Jasper.

"What's this?" Pearl asked, picking up a case of aromatherapy candles.

"Well, my girlfriend tells me these candles are really good for stress." the employee told her, smiling. "Oh, and these incense's and teas are good for that too."

Pearl nodded her head rather anxiously and gathered several cases of the items in question before putting them into a basket she had on her arm. The employee laughed a little and raised her eyebrows.

"I want to get her something that she enjoys, but she's difficult to shop for." Pearl explained. "What would you suggest for a war veteran who likes stories, music and fighting."

The employee frowned thoughtfully before smiling and snapping her fingers. "I might have something."

Pearl followed her to the other side of the store and the employee gathered up a strange device in her hands. She pressed a button and a projection of stars lit up the shop. A soothing melody filled the air and Pearl smiled a little bit.

"Wow, it's...lovely." she said.

"My girlfriend likes these things," the employee told her. "They help when she's feeling rough. She's a veteran, just like yours. I think this'll make for a nice gift."

Pearl took the device from her hands. "Hm. Well, you seem to know what you're talking about. I'll give it a try."

Meanwhile, Connie and Jasper were staring at a painting that hung on the wall. They tilted their heads in unison in an effort to make out the odd colors and shapes.

"Ma'am?" the employee stepped up to Jasper. "Is there something I can help you find?"

Jasper nodded. "A gift for my consort. What would you suggest, human shop keep?"

"Oh! Oh, um..." the employee seemed a little surprised by her way of phrasing the request, but shook that off. "Well, what sorts of things does she like?"

"She is a warrior. A warrior who stands above and beyond her make," Jasper began to explain, "One who will - "

Connie raised one hand. "Jasper, Jasper..." she interrupted gently. She smiled at the employee. "We'll just look around."

The two wandered off in the store and Connie had been distracted by a statue of a snake before she looked over, noticing Jasper had left the shop and was standing in front of a window featuring a television show playing.

"Jasper?" she said, curiously.

She approached her, noticing now still Jasper had gotten. Frowning, Connie followed her attention to the screen. A show was playing depicting a mother kneeling to embrace a child who was running to her, in tears.

 _"What's wrong, honey?"_

 _"Mom...I cut myself..."_

 _"Oh, that's okay. Everyone falls sometimes. We just gotta pick ourselves up and keep going."_

Jasper watched the video for a few moments more before she sighed heavily. Connie gently patted her hand with a comforting smile.

"Hey, it's okay to still miss her." she said.

Jasper looked down at her, gave a soft, quiet sigh before nodding.

O

Steven found Spinel happily petting one of the puppies. He had been distracted by the thoughts of White Diamond and his dream. She was less-likely to avoid his questions, so he knew he could ask her while the others were away.

"Hey, Spinel, can I ask you a question?" he asked.

"Sure!" Spinel said.

"Listen, about White Diamond..." Steven began, "I noticed you kinda looked a little...bothered when I brought her up. Did you actually meet her? I mean, anything you can remember would be a big help to all of us."

Spinel made a face."I know a little," she replied, with a small shrug, "Only for a short time on messages and stuff. She didn't like to talk much." she told him. She paused and looked a little uneasy. "She didn't like a lot of things."

The way she said that made Steven concerned.

"When Pink Diamond emerged, that was the one time they said she smiled. The other time? She smiled again. But it wasn't because she was happy like you or me. No. It was before they said she cracked."

Steven furrowed his brow. "She...cracked?"

A nod from Spinel. She grimaced. Then, she looked at the puppies and grinned happily when one bounced up, bumping her face.

"Aww! I wish we could get one!"

Steven thought about Spinel's words. What did it mean when she said White Diamond "cracked"? The only kind of cracking he was familiar with was when gems were damaged. But White Diamond wasn't damaged that he knew of.

There was always more to it.

While they were talking, Jasper and Connie had wandered into a craft shop and she noticed various statues lining the walls. An older man behind the counter was polishing up a statue of a lion crouched over a dragon before he noticed her. He rather reminded Jasper of Peridots.

"Hello." he said. "I'm just finishing up a commission. I'll be right with you."

Connie smiled up at Jasper. "I had a great idea! You can make something for Pearl. You know how much she likes gifts like that."

Jasper raised an eyebrow, studying a sculpture of a vulture fighting with a tiger. "Hm, well, the human has some skill..."

The man stood up. "That 'human' can hear you, you know." he quipped.

Connie laughed sheepishly and wandered to the counter. "Sorry."

He smiled a little when he saw her. "Ah, your Doctor Maheswaran's daughter," he said, straightening the pair of bifocals on his nose. "She had comissioned me a few times to make scupltures for her office."

Connie looked surprised. "Wow, really? I just assumed my mom bought them from the store."

"Well, that's me. It's all about careful touch," the man told them, rubbing his hand over one of the statues, "You gotta treat the stone like a baby."

Jasper raised an eyebrow. She scoffed. "Why would you treat stone like a human infant?"

The man gave her a similar look. "Anyway..." He looked at Connie. "If you're looking to have me make something for you, I'll be willing to give you a discount. Your mother's a regular customer of mine. Wouldn't be right to charge her daughter too much."

"Give us a second, sir." Connie said.

She took Jasper aside and he waited while they began discussing their ideas. Jasper seemed interested when Connie scribbled her ideas down on a piece of paper. Then, she nodded her approval and approached the counter.

"Can you make this for me?" she asked.

The man picked up the paper, straightened his glasses before smiling. "Wow, that'd be my biggest work of art yet. But I hope you don't expect it any time soon."

Connie shook her head. "It's for the holidays, so take all the time you need, sir."

"Well, how about you pay me half now. Half when she gets it. That way, you can tell me how she reacts. I love stories like that."

"How much?"

"I'll do it for two hundred."

Connie smiled. She began to remove some cash and hand it to him, but Jasper frowned. "No. I want to pay for it."

Connie raised an eyebrow, cast her gaze upwards before handing the cash to Jasper. The gem seemed satisfied and handed the cash to the man.

O

The gems and Greg piled into the van. Spinel was telling a story to the gems about her travels and exploits, as well as tales regarding Pink Diamond. Everyone listened with rapt attention.

"When I came out of my hole, she was right there waiting!" Spinel explained, making grand gestures with her hand. "She had this HUGE smile on her face and said 'Ooh! Look at the messenger! She's so cute'!"

Steven raised an eyebrow. "Cute?"

"Yeah! Pink Diamond liked all her gems!"

"Loved them so much she had them shattered?" Peridot muttered.

Spinel frowned thoughtfully. "No, don't think she had a gem shattered before."

Steven thought about that. The Off-Colors had also mentioned that Pink had spared them from being shattered by the other Diamonds.

Spinel looked down at Jasper. "Sorry you never got to meet her." she told her.

Jasper huffed out an annoyed sound, but her irritation dwindled and she looked out the van window. Features smoothing out sadly at the thought, she simply sighed and said nothing.

[Pre-War]

 _Spinel emerged to the sounds of Pink's excited voice._

 _"Oooh, look at you!" she exclaimed, with a squeal of delight. "You're so precious!"_

 _Spinel's eyes widened and she looked around at many others of her gem type standing there, eager to meet her as well. She grinned happily and was embraced by all of them. Pink put her larger arms around them as well and sighed with happiness._

 _"Ah, I have the greatest gems in the universe! They're perfect!"_

 _Spinel blushed somewhat before she beamed happily._


	20. Chapter Twenty: Holiday Special

~O~

 **Chapter Twenty: Holiday Special**

 _Steven was walking through the bitter cold._

 _He shivered, holding himself as he struggled to see through the billowing snow storm._

 _An ethereal laugh filled the air._

 _It stopped Steven where he stood. He looked around warily._

 _"Hello?" he called, "Am I dreaming again?"_

 _A moment of silence and the wind stopped blowing, freezing the falling snow in place. Steven curiously reached up and touched one, watching it drift gently to the floor before disappearing into smoke._

 _"Who's there? Is it with us?" A voice whispered, frightened and gentle. "It shouldn't be here with us. It should leave."_

 _Another voice now, malicious and filled with violence. "STINKING TRAITOR TO PINK DIAMOND. You've come to kill us. But we know where you are... We see you!"_

 _Steven looked up with a frightened cry when he spotted multiple sets of eyes watching him._

 _"No, mercy..." the cruel voice snarled, "Filthy little interloper... You would DARE come into our sacred of places?"_

 _A crack, as if something made of stone moving. Then, the gentle voice returned. "Please...get out of our head. We do not want you to see us..."_

 _"It already sees us!"_

 _"Please, go away..."_

 _Steven took a step toward the darkness. "Please, if you need help, tell me who you are!" he pleaded, "I can help you!"_

 _An enormous, bluish-gray hand shot out from the shadows, narrowly missing Steven by inches. He winced, staring face-to-face with an enormous ivory claw before it dragged itself back into the dark._

 _"They too said they could help us..." the malicious voice snarled. "But we shattered them. We shattered them when they dared gaze upon our ugliness! What SHE WROUGHT!"_

 _Steven started forward, raising one hand._

 _But a gale force of wind billowed toward him, knocking him away._

 _"GO!"_

Steven snapped awake with a loud cry. He looked around frantically, rubbing his head with one hand before stepping out of bed. Jasper was in the kitchen with Pearl, wearing the scarf he'd made for her and in that moment, Steven forgot about his terrible dream.

"Aww, you really do like that scarf!" he said.

Jasper huffed. "Maybe I do, so what?" she grumbled.

"It looks good on you!"

Spinel occasionally collected a few things in the background while the others were decorating and talking. Connie was on the phone, talking with someone before she paused and looked up at Jasper; cupping the speaker of her phone, she spoke softly so that Pearl wouldn't hear her.

"Daniel's got the statue ready to send out," she told her. "Should be here soon."

Jasper smiled her approval. "Good."

Spinel walked up to them. "Hey, do you have any leftover hamburger?"

Connie raised an eyebrow. "Uh, in the freezer?"

Spinel beamed happily. "Thanks!"

She walked passed them, rummaging through the freezer while the two continued to discuss the plan of reveal to Pearl. Jasper wanted it to go smoothly and had it worked out that Pearl would see the statue waiting for her at the beach.

"Well, if we keep everyone inside tomorrow morning, she shouldn't see it." Connie assured her. "She'll have pictures to take, I'm sure."

Spinel poked her head between them. "Hi, me again. Is there any rotten fruit peels no one's using?"

"What do you want with rotten fruit peels?" Jasper snapped, annoyed by the constant interruption from the other gem. "That's disgusting."

Spinel made a face. "I'm working on something."

"Whatever. Check the garbage can."

Spinel did so without argument.

Jasper exhaled impatiently and looked down at Connie. "I hope this human delivers," she said, "I want Pearl's gift to be perfectly displayed. I don't want a single thing to go wrong."

"Jasper, it's the holidays tomorrow," Connie assured her. "Even if he might have problems, Pearl's still going to like whatever you give her."

Jasper seemed doubtful at the thought of problems in any way. She hated having anything ruin a special gift for her consort. Everything had to be perfect to her.

Spinel approached again, holding up one finger. "I have ONE more question..." she said carefully. When the two looked at her, she clasped her hands together. "Just curious but... Do we have any glitter?"

They stared at her strangely and Spinel merely grinned in response.

That night, once the house was decorated properly, Steven struggled to find sleep. He was excited for the holiday gathering with his family, but had a lot on his mind regarding his dream and White Diamond. There was much for him to think about.

But tomorrow was a special day for family. And as Pearl told him, "Everything needs rest".

O

"Is she awake?"

"Spinel, she's not a morning person."

Jasper opened her eyes when she saw Steven and Spinel's grinning face poke into view, heard the sound of his happy cry. She noticed Pearl was waking too.

"Well, yes, good morning, Steven." Pearl said, rubbing her eyes.

Jasper straightened and stretched a little before standing. "So, what else do you do humans do on this holiday besides give gifts?"

Steven smiled. "Oh, that's right. I forgot that you've never actually been with us for the holidays like this." he said. "Well, don't worry, it'll be fun. You'll like it."

His eyes widened with delight and he looked at the other gem now. "Oh! Pearl, can we open presents now? PLEASE, PLEASE?"

Pearl chuckled and shook her head. "Alright, Steven. We can hand out gifts. But first, let's find everyone and bring them into the living room."

Jasper nodded and surreptitiously began to scoot away from them. "And I need to...do something," she said, "Something..."

She quickly made her way outside. She snatched Steven's cell phone and attempted to figure out a way to use it to call Connie. Her fingers were far too large to handle such a ridiculously small device. Instead, when Steven wandered outside in his winter-coat and boots, Jasper picked him up.

"How do you call Connie on this stupid thing?" she snapped.

Steven smiled. "Oh! Like this!"

He took the phone, scrolled down it a few times on a list of contacts before settling on Connie's name. He waited for the phone to dial the number before he held it up to Jasper.

"It's ringing. Just give it a minute and she'll pick up."

Jasper set him down. "Good."

"Is this about Pearl's present you made for her?" Steven asked. He smiled. "Connie told me all about it. It sounds really cool."

"Yes." Jasper said, distracted. "Let's hope this human delivers." Her face lit up when Connie answered. "Well? What of the human Daniel? Is he going to be here on time?"

"He should be there in a few hours." Connie told her. "He's an old man, Jasper; remember that. He can't move that fast."

Jasper huffed impatiently. "Fine."

Later that afternoon, everyone opened gifts and exchanged some with one another. Steven sat beside Spinel as she offered him a present.

"Hey, Spinel?" he said. "Can I ask you something?"

Spinel nodded. "Yep."

"Did White Diamond and Pink Diamond get along?"

Spinel made a face. "Hard to say. They never socialized too much. Then again, White Diamond didn't do much socialization with anyone." she explained. "But...I mean, I know she did care about Pink Diamond. I think? I mean, in her own way."

"What do you mean?" Steven was curious.

Spinel laughed a little. "Well, when I was still serving Pink Diamond, they would talk together sometimes. White Diamond was always busy doing her own thing, but when Pink Diamond wanted to talk to her, she would drop everything to do it. She didn't do that for just anyone."

Steven frowned thoughtfully. It was hard to imagine White Diamond in that way. But then again, he'd felt the same about all Diamonds. They had proven themselves to be...human in a sense. Steven had always had the image that the Diamonds were heartless and cruel. But they had shown themselves being capable of more than that.

In their own way.

Amethyst tossed a wrapped parcel in Spinel's direction. "Spinel, think fast!" she called.

Spinel looked up, but the box smacked her in the face and knocked her over with a loud grunt. Amethyst cackled and held her sides.

"Why do you always end up catching stuff with your face?" she cried, grinning.

Spinel laughed and flashed her a thumbs up. "Good toss, Amethyst!"

She sat up and looked down at the package in her lap. Brightening, she grinned and began to tear into it excitedly. When she reached inside, she pulled out a large, fluffy toy dog. Frowning, she turned it around in her hands for study.

When the toy barked, Spinel gave a cry and dropped it like a hot potato. "Ah! There's a dog trapped in there!" she cried, rushing into the kitchen. She returned with a pair of scissors in hand. "Hold on, animal! I'll save you!"

Amethyst stood up quickly, holding out two hands. "Whoa, whoa! Put down the scissors, Spinel," she said, "It's a toy. It's not a real dog."

Spinel looked confused. She set the scissors down and picked up the stuffed animal. "A toy?"

"Yeah. See, I know you wanted a real puppy and the toy store guy said that this is good for people who can't have any," Amethyst told her. She scratched her head a little and suddenly seemed a bit embarrassed. "I thought...you know...maybe you'd like it."

Spinel seemed to be working the idea around in her head for a moment before she brightened. "So, it's like a real dog? Kinda?"

"Yeah. You can still pet it and everything."

Spinel raised an eyebrow and pet the top of the stuffed animal's head. When it made small whimpering sounds, she grinned.

"Oh! Okay, I see!" she said. "Thanks, Amethyst!"

Amethyst smiled. "No problem."

Spinel suddenly brightened. "Wait! I have your present too! Come on!"

She quickly rushed outside and around the house with the others following behind her. She approached a large, tarp-covered object and made a face.

"Now I feel bad since my present isn't as good as yours, Amethyst." she said.

Amethyst shrugged. "Don't worry about it, Spinel. Nothing you make can really be all that - WHOA."

She stopped and her eyes widened in amazement when Spinel pulled the tarp aside, revealing a statue made up of food and other edible trimmings that had been formed in the shape of her person. It reminded Steven of the Statue of Liberty.

"Is that...hamburger?" Pearl asked, grimacing. "Spinel, is this what you were working on all night?"

Spinel beamed. "Yep!" she told her. "It's Amethyst made up of her favorite food!" She climbed the gooey statue and pointed at the hair made up of cotton candy. "I used cotton candy for hair since you ate a whole bag of cotton candy yesterday."

Amethyst shrieked with delight. "Spinel, it's awesome!"

Spinel grinned with delight. "Really?"

"Totally!" Amethyst quickly rushed up to the statue of her and plucked one of the tiny candy buttons Spinel had put on the chest to form her gem. "Is this caramel?"

The others watched the scene with a mixture of amusement and confusion.

"Well, at least they're happy." Garnet quipped.

O

"Close your eyes."

Pearl raised an eyebrow and regarded Jasper skeptically when she made the suggestion. Jasper smirked with pride.

"Come on. Just do it."

Pearl chuckled and shut her eyes. Jasper took a moment to wave her hand in front of her face to make sure before she took her hand and led her down to the beach. When they were outside, Jasper gestured in front of her.

"Well, go ahead and open your eyes now!" she said, proudly.

Pearl did so and her features smoothed out in confusion. "The...sunset?"

Jasper looked completely lost before she looked and sure enough, there was nothing on the beach that she had expected. The human had no delivered as he was supposed to. She frowned angrily before giving Pearl a rather embarrassed smile.

O

"Where is he?"

Jasper paced back and forth while on the phone with Connie.

 _"Sorry, Jasper. Daniel called and said he was running late. His truck died on the highway." Connie said, "I can have my dad call the tow truck - "_

"No. Just tell me where he is and I'll do it myself."

 _"Oh. Okay. I'm sure he'll be grateful. It's the highway a few miles from Beach City. He's not too far."_

"Good."

Jasper started to go, but paused and looked back at Steven, who had been standing there curiously the entire time as she had talked with Connie.

"Stall Pearl until I get back." she ordered.

She took off on foot to the highway that Connie had spoken of. Sure enough, she found the pickup truck in question parked on the side of the road with the human standing beside it. He seemed to be on the phone with someone and a tarp-covered object rested in the bed.

"Hey." Jasper snapped, walking over and grabbing his phone. "Turn that off. I'm taking you to Pearl myself."

Daniel laughed a little. "Really? You're going to push my truck all the way to your home?"

Jasper simply reached below the truck and started pushing. Daniel raised his eyebrows with surprise and amusement.

"Well, you are a strong young lady." he said.

"I'm much older than you."

When she worked on pushing the truck down the road, a soft snarl drew her attention to the left; a Cluster Gem stalked toward her, gurgling lowly. Daniel's eyes widened in horror.

"What is that?" he cried.

Jasper picked him up and set him in the bed of the truck. "Stay here." she ordered.

She charged for the Cluster Gem with a shout and Daniel watched with amazement. Punching, throwing and headbutting; Jasper was a force to be reckoned with. He cheered for her the entire time, rooting for every attack she threw out.

"Go!" Daniel cried. "Go! Go!"

The Cluster Gem turned toward him and gurgled, advancing slowly before Jasper grabbed it by its legs, tossing it to the ground and driving her fist directly into its form. Its body dispelled, leaving only the malformed gem lying there.

Jasper formed a bubble around it before looking at Daniel. The man grinned and clapped once. "That was AMAZING!" he exclaimed. "That form! You were an army girl, right?"

Jasper furrowed her brow. "Yes. I still am."

"I served in the army also." Daniel told her as she continued pushing the truck forward. "It's good to talk with someone who you can relate to in that way."

Jasper rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I suppose."

"I see you have someone special," Daniel continued, looking at the tarp-covered object in the truck with him. "To see her that way...oh my, the two of you must fit so well together."

Jasper murmured, a little uncomfortable with this conversation. She didn't like discussing her feelings with anyone like this, particularly a human.

"When my wife was still alive, she was there when I came home from across seas," Daniel continued, watching the skies as Jasper continued to push. "It was difficult, that transition period. Going from watching over your shoulder constantly to just walking to the mailbox was worse than anyone else could imagine. But she was there. She was awake when I was. She held my hand when I needed it."

Jasper was listening to him. Her eyes darkened somewhat.

"It's weakness," Jasper snapped.

Daniel laughed gently, glancing over his shoulder to her. "Not really. Having someone to help you doesn't make you weak, friend. It just means you have someone who walks by your side through the fire. Never forget that."

Jasper sighed. Well, she had to admit that felt like wise advice from the old man.

"Oh! This is where you live?" Daniel's surprised voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "I always thought a government worker lived here or something."

Jasper pushed the truck across the beach and looked at him. "Now, I want you to stay out of sight." she said. "This is for Pearl and I want it to be special."

Daniel nodded. "That's okay. Could I watch from my truck? I love seeing the customers when they're happy with the commission. That's my favorite part!"

Jasper groaned with disinterest, but sighed. "Fine. Just don't let her see you."

Daniel smiled. "Will do."

It took a few minutes before Jasper led Pearl outside to view the statue. She hadn't seen it yet either, so it would be a surprise for her all the same.

"...Steven said you were getting something for me?" Pearl asked.

"Yeah, now close your eyes. It's real this time."

A laugh. "Alright."

Jasper made her way to the tarp-covered statue and removed it. She grinned, pleased with the sculpture that resembled a near copy of her sketch. The human was quite skilled in the arts, even she had to admit to that. She turned to Pearl.

"Alright, open your eyes."

Pearl opened her eyes and when she saw the statue, she gave a startled gasp and her hands went to her mouth.

"Jasper, what... Oh my Stars, it's..." she began.

Jasper smiled, putting her hands on her hips. "Steven told me a gift made this way was suitable in the art of Christmas gift giving. So I had a human make this for you. It's impressive, yes?"

Pearl began to tear up and Jasper's smile disappeared. "Wait, why are you crying?" she asked, "I thought..." She looked up at the statue, scratched the back of her head. "I thought that you looked like this to me and I just..."

Pearl shook her head. "No! No, there's nothing wrong with it, Jasper!" she exclaimed, wiping her eyes and attempting to assure her. "It's just... Do you really see me this way?"

Jasper glanced from the statue, then to her before she flushed a little. "Well, I mean... You're my consort. And I think you're..." She huffed, embarrassed. "Yes. I do."

"Aww... That is exactly what I love seeing." Daniel said, from the window of the car.

Jasper and Pearl looked toward him and the larger gem scowled. "I told you to stay hidden!"

Daniel grinned, laughing and Pearl couldn't help her laugh too. Jasper growled, irritated, but Pearl immediately put her hands on her shoulders and kissed her cheek. Jasper relaxed a bit and murmured with discontent. But it seemed as if she was unwilling to be too annoyed when Pearl held her.

"Thank you, Jasper." she said, smiling. "I love it. I have something for you as well. Though not as grand as a statue, I think."

O

The stars that danced above them were actually quite nice. The music and the candles were pleasant also; Jasper didn't really care if they were not as grand as a statue. It was relaxing to lay in the pools with Pearl in her arms.

"Sometimes I'm afraid I'm going to wake up," Pearl told her. "And you're going to be gone again."

Jasper frowned a little. She was silent before speaking quietly. "Sometimes I think I'm still in that bubble, dreaming all the same."

Pearl looked down at their joined hands, gently caressing one another like two gems in the middle of fusion. She remembered how Jasper once had those green splotches and claws and now none remained. It was as if she'd never been corrupted from the start.

She was still so afraid that Jasper would drift away again.

Jasper watched her in silence before kissing the top of her head.

 _"When you love someone, your world and everything in it changes." Kunzite had once assured her. "Lights become brighter. Sounds become clearer. All of it laid bare before you. The thing you once were? You are no longer than thing, because that other gem completes you."_

Jasper had never thought of love in that way. It was strange thinking of the idea that a Quartz like her would need anyone to complete her.

But it wasn't necessarily one she ignored either. Especially now when she felt happy with Pearl in her arms.

She shut her eyes and leaned her head against Pearl's. The Pumpkin trotted over to them and climbed onto Jasper's abdomen, circling a few times before settling down with a happy sound.

Meanwhile, Steven was ready for bed. But he thought about the dream he had and hesitated; he hadn't told the others about it yet. Would he see the odd thing in the shadows again? Was it a gem? A gem fusion? Staying awake wouldn't help him, so he decided to climb into bed and attempt rest.

 _Snow._

 _Steven wandered through the snow again, spotting nothing out of the ordinary thus-far. He struggled to see in the darkness, but stepped down onto something._

 _Looking down, Steven noticed a figure frozen in the ice, eyes open in a perpetual state of agony. Steven gave a startled cry, staggering away from the shape._

 _"He's come back..."_

 _"Why does it continue to haunt us?"_

 _"No one's here, go back to sleep. You're okay. I promise."_

 _"Not its business! It's NOT ITS BUSINESS!"_

 _Steven looked around and noticed the snow had calmed from billowing wildly. It began to fall in a steadier flurry and a multiple set of eyes focused on him from the darkness._

 _"Go away!" the cruel voice snarled once more at him. "Stop hounding us!"_

 _The gentle voice spoke. "She will hurt you, you know. As she did us. Please, don't try to save what isn't worth saving..."_

 _Steven shook his head. "Please! If you're a gem, I can help you!"_

 _A small collection of laughs; one demonic and another musical and soft._

 _"You... You can't even help yourself!" the harsher voice hissed out._

 _Steven didn't understand what the voices meant, but he saw a faint outline of an enormous link of chain and a foot that resembled a hoof shifted deeper into the dark, as if every bit of light repelled whatever hid itself away._

 _"Go away..." the snarling voice ordered. "It does not belong here!"_

Steven awoke the next morning from his dream. He noticed Lion resting comfortably at the foot of his bed and sighed, rubbing the large cat's head with one hand.

The sounds of Jasper and Amethyst wrestling around outside turned his attention to the window. He saw their shapes appear and disappear occasionally in the middle of play fighting.

His features smoothed out sadly.

So many questions and not enough answers. That was how it was these days.


	21. Chapter Twenty-One: House of Horror

~O~

 **Chapter Twenty-One: House of Horror**

 _"Why does it keep coming back?"_

 _"Go back to sleep. It's okay."_

 _"No! Let us look upon the face of the traitor!"_

 _Steven wandered through the snowy storm and found himself standing before another link of chain. It was covered in ice._

 _"Please," he said, "Let me see you."_

 _A moment of hesitation passed from the enormous being._

 _Then, at last; a hoof stepped into the light. Steven watched, his features gradually changing from confusion to shock as the great form of the creature slowly appeared before him._

 _It was enormous; larger than Malachite or Carnelian. It had pale, sick blue skin and was crouched on four legs that had been bound by the links of a frozen chain all the same. The chains were glowing, as if they somehow kept this creature from escaping._

 _The most unsettling thing about the being before him were the two faces fused to one head; one was bright red, caught in the middle of a grimace of rage. The other was a passive, white, serene face with sad eyes. Long, black hair trailed down its back and across its shoulders like snakes._

 _"Welcome, little one," the serene voice spoke and the head rotated on those shoulders, grinding like a statue. "I think it's time that we spoke."_

 _The head rotated so that the angry face was facing Steven now. "Liar! Little liar! You'll lie to us like everyone else!"_

 _Again, the head rotated, speaking calmly. "It's okay, let me speak. You're fine."_

 _Steven was both stunned and mildly frightened by this being. it was clearly a fusion of gems given the appearance of a circular stone at the center of their chest._

 _"Who..." he began. "Who are you?"_

 _"It's been a long time since we were separated, little one," the serene voice continued, "White Diamond took to calling us...Diopside. A fitting name, given the circumstances. We are just one of her many...pet projects. A living horror of her madness."_

 _"Madness?" Steven asked, "What do you mean?"_

 _"There is madness in the obsession for Order," Diopside explained, "Believe us. We have seen the true face of White Diamond. You have seen it. We understand. It's hard to know what you know and fear sharing it with others. What would they do? How would they feel?"_

 _A heavy sigh, a collection from both faces._

 _"We hated one another, you know," Diopside continued, still strangely peaceful, "Even when we had taken the side of Rose Quartz, we fought each other constantly."_

 _"Wait, you were in my mom's army?" Steven looked shocked._

 _"Oh yes. We served her...very loyal to her...in the war and fought for this planet," Diopside said. Her eyes closed for the moment before she continued. "White Diamond found us. She exploited our loathing for one another by forcing us to fuse. And..."_

 _A pause. A shaking whisper. A large hand raised itself toward the chains around its body._

 _"Don't tell!" the enraged voice snarled. "Mustn't speak! Not its business!"_

 _"Shh..." the soft voice assured the secondary face. "It's okay. He will learn eventually."_

 _A few heavy steps as the fusion turned; the chains that bound her rattled slightly and Steven felt himself stepping back._

 _Another sigh._

 _"Rose Quartz had shattered Pink Diamond. Upon this, the others of her cut had been hidden away. Only we knew where they were." Diopside began. "It's... It's hard to remember sometimes. It's been so long. White Diamond found us. She had forced us to fuse to one another. She...She tortured us. For thirty years, we remained under her knife. And every day, we told her how we truly felt about her."_

 _Steven's eyes widened. "Thirty years?" he exclaimed._

 _"Indeed." Diopside exhaled softly. "For thirty years, she would ask us where the Rose Quartz's were hiding. And for thirty years, we gave her nothing." Her voice began to shake and a small sob escaped her. "But after those thirty years, we just...couldn't do it anymore. We couldn't. We gave her everything."_

 _Steven noticed the angry face had begun to shed tears. They trickled down her face in rivers. The serene face had begun to cry too. Clawed hands rose to cover their faces and soft weeping sounds escaped them._

 _"No... You were tortured...for thirty years?" Steven felt his heart breaking at the thought of it._

 _Diopside lowered her hands, settled herself onto her elbows and spoke evenly to him._

 _"If White Diamond could torture us for that long," she continued, her voice haggard. "If she can patiently wait thirty years for what she wants... What do you think she's going to do to all of you?"_

 _"Torture us!" the enraged voice groaned. "Loathes us! Pain... No, you know not of pain! It knows nothing of pain! Shut up! Leave us!"_

 _Steven thought about her words for a while. Then, he looked up at her._

 _"I'm sorry."_

 _Diopside reacted a little with a soft, surprised sound. Steven started to cry. He shook his head, tears streaming down his cheeks._

 _"I'm sorry that happened to you," he said, "You didn't deserve any of that. None of you did. I wish I could have helped more. Maybe if I did..."_

 _Diopside's two faces seemed surprised by his sympathy. Then, the passive face smiled sadly._

 _"You don't need to cry for us, little half-breed. It is us who should weep for you," she told him, "We weep because we know what White Diamond wants to do with all of you. And it horrifies us. It horrifies us so much."_

 _The enraged voice cackled. "Wait for it, half one! Wait to suffer!"_

 _Steven shook his head, a small sound escaping him._

 _"We can still help you!" he told her. "Just tell us where you are!"_

 _"Oh..." the peaceful voice exhaled sadly, "Don't worry for us, little half-breed. We have long since remained in the dark as we are. It is our calling now." A small chuckle escaped her. "You are kind, but only the living can redeem themselves. We cannot..."_

 _A heavy thud as Diopside turned, revealing long, strings of black hair on her rippling back._

 _"Leave us. We will do you no good."_

O

Steven couldn't eat his breakfast that morning.

Spinel was humming a tune to herself as she walked to the fridge. "Steven!" she said. "Why the long face?"

Steven looked up at her when she removed a glass cup from the cabinet. "Spinel. Do you know anyone named Diopside?"

"Diopside?" she asked, frowning.

Steven frowned. "Yeah. There's this gem I've been seeing in my dreams. Only she's a fusion and...a really scary one too. But I don't think she was fused on her own." He looked at her curiously and approached, noticing how shaken Spinel suddenly looked. "Spinel? Spinel. Did you know her?"

Spinel's eyes narrowed a little and she rubbed her head with one hand. "I remember something about that name..." she told him. "About how there was a laboratory that White Diamond kept hidden from the other two Diamonds. Somewhere cold. That name was mentioned once. But I think it's just spooky rumors, you know?"

"Do you remember anything else?"

"No. I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Steven sighed and leaned back in his seat. "This is crazy! How can we find her if we don't even know where she is?"

Spinel looked at him sympathetically. "White Diamond's labs were usually kept secret." she told him. "It's probably not a place any of us can find. Not even me. And I've been EVERYWHERE."

"But you've been there before?"

"Once. For a message." Spinel blinked rapidly. "I - I think?" She looked confused now. "I might? I don't know..."

A sigh from Steven. "That's okay. We'll figure it out." he told her, patting her hand once.

Steven had been working all morning in his head to figure out where White Diamond's laboratory was. He could only think of a few places that would be cold, but it did nothing to narrow it down for him. Her lab could have been anywhere in the world. Spinel wouldn't be able to help him as she claimed not to remember where it was. He didn't know what to do about it.

"Spinel, we really need to find Diopside," Steven argued, "If we can, maybe she can help us understand what White Diamond's plan is."

Spinel was eventually occupying her time with a painting in the living room. She smiled after a moment and leaned back to study what she'd made; an odd splash of green and red with eyes.

"Wow! I think I'm getting better!" she said, "Amethyst was right; I can be whatever I want! Spinel's aren't artists, but look at me!"

Steven sighed and looked down at the painting. He frowned curiously before looking at her. "What's it supposed to be?" he asked.

"I don't know. But I had a dream about it." Spinel said.

Steven sighed, but looked outside to find Connie and Jasper training together. He raised an eyebrow and smiled a little.

"Well, it's good to see Connie and Jasper training," he said. "I know she really wanted to. But I really need to tell everyone about it. They could help."

Steven gathered everyone into the kitchen and explained his dream to them.

"...I can't see what it is, but there's two of them," he explained, making gestures with his hands. "It's snowing too. And they're upset. I tried to talk with them, but they won't listen."

Pearl frowned thoughtfully. "Can you remember anything else?"

"No. But there were these really huge chains covered in ice." Steven continued. "And the voices told me not to try and help them. I'll be hurt like they were." He sighed, slouching his shoulders. "I don't know. It has to be a gem."

It's probably your mind connecting to this gem," Pearl explained. "The way it had with..." She trailed herself off, daring a fleeting glance at Jasper before continuing. "...In the past. Listen, Steven; if it's a gem who needs our help, we can do whatever we need to. But we can't afford to be reckless. Especially now."

A small nod from Steven.

"We need to find this fusion," Garnet said now, "If she knows about White Diamond and what she could be planning, it would help us."

Spinel looked troubled. Amethyst caught her look and frowned.

O

It had taken most of the morning.

Researching anything at Pink Diamond's library had yielded absolutely no results for them. But Garnet had searched the upper levels and uncovered a scroll. She dusted it off, tilted her head with a curious sound and opened it up. There were marks along a map of the Earth; each symbol indicated what looked like gem structures.

Only one was marked on Antarctica. She made another thoughtful sound and returned to the temple. The others had been waiting for her and turned their focus to the warp pad when she appeared.

"I believe I've located White Diamond's laboratory," Garnet informed them. "It was hard, but I managed to find parchment of a map."

She held up the scroll in her hand and unraveled it in front of them, revealing several marked locations tagged with red circles. Only one was marked in Antarctica and Garnet indicated it.

"This is the only marked gem facility that's been posted in a cold location as Spinel described." Garnet continued. "I believe that is where we're going and where we will find Diopside."

Spinel stared at the map curiously. "Whoa, so you found a map? It's like treasure hunting!"

"In a sense," Garnet replied, attempting to be supportive. "But Spinel, you've been to White Diamond's laboratory. You surely know something about it."

Spinel made a face. She tried thinking, but every time she tried to remember, it wasn't like the static images from before. It was different. She couldn't find the memory no matter how hard she searched.

It was like walking in a dark tunnel with no end in sight. No light to guide her.

"I'm sorry, Garnet." Spinel told her, making a face. "I was only there once. But I don't remember anything else about it."

"That's alright, Spinel." Garnet assured her. "You can come with us. Maybe when we get there, it might jog your memory."

Spinel nodded. "Okay."

Garnet looked down at Steven. "You'll need to stay bundled up on this trip, Steven." she reminded him.

O

The warp pad had been frozen.

Traveling through the snow storm wasn't the worst part for the group. It was struggling to see ahead of them. Spinel had frozen icicles on her nostrils, Amethyst had taken the form of a bear and Jasper's mane of hair was coated in snow. Pearl moved closer to her and Garnet held Steven to her chest to keep him warm.

"Are we close?" Steven yelled, through the blizzard.

"We're close!" Garnet yelled back.

True to her words, the towering form of a mountain appeared in their field of vision. Build into the mointain of ice was gem architecture at its finest; images of White Diamond had been crafted on either side of the massive double doors before them. Overall, it was fairly humble outside for a Diamond facility.

"Let's get inside!" Garnet shouted to the others. "Steven needs to get warm!"

Jasper made her way to the doors and grunted as she heaved them open. Almost immediately, Spinel froze where she stood. The others quickly filed in, but noticed that Spinel wasn't moving. She seemed to stare at the door, almost confused.

The sound echoed loudly in her mind, replacing the present day with an image of the facility; new, uncracked and as perfect as White Diamond herself.

Pearl and Steven started to enter the building, but stopped and looked back toward Spinel.

"Spinel?" Steven said.

Spinel seemed like she was lost in her own world. Her eyes were distant, staring through them.

"Spinel? Come on! Get inside!" Amethyst called.

Spinel shook her head rapidly, but quickly hurried inside with them.

The internal halls were pitch black, but Pearl and the others applied their gem's light to see. A fair amount of gem technology lined the walls, along desks and tables. But it seemed that most of it had been enchased in layers of ice.

From the looks of it, this laboratory had been neglected for a very long time.

"Well, are you sure this is the place?" Pearl asked.

"Quite sure." Garnet replied.

They looked around the room they stood in. It looked like a security checkpoint of some kind, but a very old one by Homeworld standards. There was a glass chamber nearby where a clerical gem was likely to have been stationed. Old tablets and various other items littered the floor. It seemed like long ago, they had left this place in a hurry. After all, most gems had to be quickly evacuated before the Diamond's had unleashed their weapon.

The whistling of the wind echoed around them, giving the dark room a very eerie feel. The sound of water dripping resonated in the distance. It was unsettling.

"I don't think I like this place…" Spinel said, uneasy.

"Spinel, stay close to me," Amethyst instructed. "I'll watch out for ya'."

Spinel managed a weak smile in response. But the look that crossed her face seemed to concern Amethyst a bit. Whatever was here, couldn't be good.

A soft sound of metal groaning in the distance made the gems look up quickly.

"What was that?" Steven asked.

"It's the facility. It's old." Garnet reminded them. "Let's keep looking. I'm sure Diopside can't be difficult to miss."

The gems started forward, all the while studying their surroundings. It seemed that the deeper they got into the facility, the darker it felt. Jasper paused before a room and Pearl caught it.

"Jasper?" she said.

Jasper furrowed her brow. "I thought I heard something."

A scuttling sound. Like finger rapping on a counter top.

She looked up with a grunt of alarm as a disembodied white limb crawled across the floor. A white arm that Jasper immediately dispelled with a stomp of her foot. A single white shard laid uselessly in front of her in place where the limb once crawled.

Pearl's features filled with unease. "Shattered gem shards?"

Jasper picked up the white shard and studied it in her hand. She furrowed her brow. "Grey Star Sapphire." she said. "Some of White Diamond's lab workers."

"Were they here the whole time?" Steven had wandered up to them, curious by what had been going on.

Jasper wandered into the room; it was a storage hall. She noticed beakers, tablets and crates of items lining the wall. There was also a hammer lying nearby where other white arms surrounded it, squirming uselessly against one another.

They'd shattered themselves.

Jasper was familiar with the sight. She'd seen it enough in battle to know why gems did this.

"Let's get rid of these…" she said, softly.

"Right." Pearl murmured, quiet in the wake of this revelation.

They worked on dispelling the limbs, but Pearl paused when she noticed something on the wall. The others had started to file their way out, but Jasper stopped when she noticed Pearl wasn't following them. She frowned.

"Pearl?" she said.

"I'm…I'm coming." Pearl told her.

She glanced back at the message that had interested her. Scrawled in gem.

It read: "Forgive us."

O

The halls were expansive and seemed to go on forever. The walls were coated in ice and the floors slick with water. No one had seen anything out of the ordinary or any signs of Diopside. In fact, minus the shards they'd seen, the laboratory seemed abandoned completely.

"Maybe this wasn't it…" Steven said, defeated.

"It had to be. This is the perfect location, after all." Jasper replied. "Not many humans to pester White Diamond."

Spinel paused while they continued to walk. She looked around, furrowing her brow as she stared into a room filled with cages. Curiously, she walked inside and looked around.

 _A flash of slavered teeth._

Spinel flinched as she recoiled from one of the cages. She frowned and looked around, seeing images flash in her mind of twisted abberations; corrupted and non-corrupted gems alike in the throes of agony. Claws against cages.

"Spinel!"

She snapped out of her reverie and looked down at Amethyst, who had been standing there attempting to get her attention. The look on her face immediately put Amethyst on guard. Spinel looked…scared. But not like her usual fear that she'd seen before.

"Spinel, are you okay?" Amethyst asked. She took her hand and furrowed her brow. "Dude, you're shaking. What's wrong?"

Spinel shook her head. "I don't like this place…" she said, her voice soft and tight with fear.

"Yeah, I don't blame you. It's pretty creepy." Amethyst remarked.

Spinel whimpered now and her eyes began to fill. "I…I think I did something bad, Amethyst."

"What? What are you talking about?"

Spinel's eyes wandered and she bit her lip. "I've been here before. But something happened. I think I saw something I wasn't supposed to."

She whispered it under her breath, leaning close to Amethyst so that only she could hear her. Amethyst looked over her shoulder for a moment and she put her hands on Spinel's shoulders.

"Okay, listen," she said, evenly. "Whatever it is, we can all deal with it, Spinel. But you have to tell us what happened. We need to know what you know."

Spinel nodded, a hesitant smile lighting her face. Then, she saw another flash fill her head. An image of herself facing a cell and crying out in fright.

Static.

"Hey, Spinel? Amethyst?" Steven poked his head in the room. He looked around with unease before noticing Spinel's condition. "Hey, are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Spinel lied.

She was clearly so terrible at lying; it was evidenced by her grimace. Most gems were aware of the fact that Spinel's were never good at lies. They were made only to speak truth and only to be truthful to themselves. Attempting to lie in any way went against her entire gem make.

"Spinel, you're lying," Amethyst said, frowning.

"N-No I'm not."

"You're doing it again!"

Pearl, Jasper and Garnet entered the room, having noticed that the others hadn't been following. Spinel shuddered, eyes wandering around like a frightened mouse. Jasper leaned down on one knee and faced her, gaze intense.

"Spinel," she said, harshly. "Tell us what you know."

"I-I don't…" Spinel wavered, her eyes filling. "I'm trying to remember. I know I've been here, but I saw something. Something I shouldn't have seen."

"You're not remembering anything because you repressed it," Jasper said, realization lighting her face. "Huh. Don't look at me like that. I know a thing about repressing memories."

Pearl made a face and looked away. She didn't want to go back to that place involving Jasper's dealings with Yellow Diamond.

Spinel looked down, features twisting before she nodded. "I…I was here. I remember coming here to find White Diamond. I had a message for her…"

Another flash of memory returned, unwanted.

 _Spinel wandered into the laboratory, confused to find no one present. She scratched her head and put her hands on her hips._

" _Okay, well, no one's here," she mused, to herself, "Hm. Must be off on a break."_

"I…I walked down the hallways, but no one was around. I didn't know what else to do. I had a message to deliver from Pink Diamond. It was important…I think. I don't know, but the Rebels were really pushing hard. But it was really dark. I could barely see anything. I just…"

"Spinel, it's okay." Garnet assured her. "We can keep looking. You don't have to think about it anymore."

Jasper scowled at her. "If you continue to coddle her, she won't be able to confront the thing she's so afraid of!"

"It's not coddling, Jasper. We need to keep her focused."

Spinel seemed to hesitate even more, but nodded.

O

The gems wandered deeper into the facility, jumping every so often at the sounds of wind and metal groaning with age. Pearl sought to ease the tension with humorous stories. Jasper chimed in as well and they exchanged tales of battle and what they had seen.

"I don't want to be here." Spinel said. "I want to go home."

Garnet turned to her now. "Spinel, we need your help."

"No." Spinel said it with such force that it actually surprised everyone there. Never had she raised her voice and never had she looked at them the way she was. But the force was smothered with a shaking fear in her tone.

"Okay," Amethyst assured her, reaching out two hands. "Spinel, we can figure this out on our own. You can go home."

Spinel never looked more relieved than she did right now.

But it started a chain of arguments from the others - mostly from Jasper and Amethyst. She barely listened to them.

"I don't like this…" Spinel mumbled.

[I don't like this.]

Spinel paused and looked down a hallway, poorly lit by a glowing whiteness in the distance. She started to follow the others, but the voice repeated itself. It was so very familiar and a sound that gave her a feeling of content. Familiarity. She knew the voice from somewhere.

"H-Hello?" she called, hesitantly making her way toward the sound.

[HelloHelloHello.]

The voice seemed to parrot anything spoken from her, so Spinel cautiously continued to follow until she stopped in front of a dented doorway. The white light shined from below and she looked over her shoulder again before calling down, holding herself tightly.

"Hey. I'm… I'm here."

[Ha-HAY. I'm here.]

The voice… Why did it sound like…

Spinel carefully made her way down the stairs that led deeper into the facility. The ceilings were vast, fit for a Diamond to move around. The walls were cold and chilled, white metal chipped away from age. Spinel used her gem to be able to see better.

"Hey."

[Hey.]

Spinel paused once she reached the bottom step and she noticed an enormous set of double doors before her. Curious, she cupped her mouth and called again, noticing the white light glowing from the cracks of the doors.

"I'm Spinel, how are you?" she called, managing a weak smile.

[I'm Spinel. How are you?]

It made her forget her fears for a moment and she couldn't help her giggle. Whatever it was, it seemed harmless to her.

"No, I'm Spinel." she said, to the door.

[No, I'm Spinel.]

Spinel made a face before she looked around. "Are you behind this door?"

[Are you behind this door?]

"Yeah?"

[Yeah.]

"Are you in trouble?"

[Are you in trouble.]

The repeated voice didn't question as she had. It was more of a statement. Like an emotionless mimicry more than anything. Spinel looked around for some way to open the door before she noticed a piece of metal lying on the floor.

She placed it into the cracks of the door and attempted to use leverage to open it. Slowly, ever so slowly, the doors began to creak open. A wash of stale air passed over Spinel and she grimaced, waving a hand through her hair to be rid of the dust that had gotten on her.

It was dark inside this room, but Spinel's gem cast an eerie glow in front of her.

"Are you in here?" she called.

[Are you in here?]

"Uh, yes?" Spinel said, frowning.

[Uh, yes.]

Spinel took a step inside the room. She passed an enormous cell where the walls had been lined with violent scratches.

Something moved in a cell next to her.

Spinel turned, cast the light into the cell. Her eyes slowly widened and she began to waver, fear and sorrow touching her face.

"A-Amethyst?" she called.

The others were looking for Spinel when they heard her call for help.

"Spinel!" Amethyst shouted, cupping her mouth. "Spinel, where are you?'

Spinel screamed.

 _"AMETHYST!"_

That spurred them on with Amethyst leading the way. They followed the sound of Spinel's scream to the stairway and quickly rushed down to find her.

"Spinel!" Amethyst called, "Where are you?"

Silence.

This began to worry Amethyst as she frantically searched the room for Spinel. The gems shined their gem light around before they noticed Spinel kneeling with her back to them.

"Spinel, are you nuts?" Amethyst cried, rushing up to her. "Why'd you go off by yourself like that?"

Spinel was staring into a large, expansive cell, her features blank. She looked like she was in shock. Amethyst frowned worriedly.

"Spinel?" she said.

"Spinel, are you okay?" Steven asked, approaching.

Amethyst waved a hand in front of Spinel's face, noticing no reaction to the gesture. Jasper grunted and also approached.

"Hey, what's wrong with you?" she demanded.

"I thought they'd all died…" Spinel finally mumbled, her voice shaken in broken notes. "I thought my sisters were gone for good. But they've been here the whole time."

Amethyst furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"

[What do you mean?]

The echo came from inside the cell, which turned their attention toward it. Spinel reached one hand, palm out. After a few moments, a shaking, dull pink hand reached out to her. Spinel's eyes began to fill and a small sob escaped her.

Steven frowned and Jasper's gem shone light inside the cell.

She saw a large, pale pink form. A leg. Another leg.

And another.

And another.

An eye.

A few dozen eyes.

Rivers of tattered, pink hair.

Jasper's furious scowl slowly drained into a grimace of horror. She could hear equally disturbed sounds from the others.

What was housed within that cell consisted of a cluster mess of what could only be a collection of spinels.

O

Spinel was sitting on the couch, staring off in a catatonic state. She hugged her knees to her chin and while the others continued to search White Diamond's laboratory, Connie and Amethyst attempted to get her to speak. But Spinel hadn't said a word since she returned. Garnet had poofed the cluster of spinels in the cell and assured her that they could rest.

"Spinel, no one's blaming you for what happened to those gems." Amethyst insisted. "You didn't put them in there."

Spinel exhaled quietly. "I'm a bad gem..."

"No, you're not!" Connie insisted. "It wasn't your fault!"

"No one's angry at you, Spinel." Amethyst added.

Spinel continued to sit there in silence. Connie and Amethyst put their arms around her. They didn't know what else to do.

Meanwhile, the others continued their search through the laboratory and came up to a large door, high enough for a Diamond to walk through. A mark on the wall beside the door looked similar to that of the crashed ship that housed the Centipeedles. Jasper ran her finger over it before she noticed a scratched message on the wall.

 _Through order we strive. Through madness we evolve._

She didn't know what that meant, but pressed her hand to the pad and the door roared open. It was dark in the room all the same. It felt colder here somehow, especially to Steven. He shivered and held himself, mumbling under his breath.

"I really hope we find Diopside soon. I'm l-losing feeling in my b-body." he stammered.

"I understand something of that."

The familiar voice of Diopside filled the air. The gems immediately stood at the defense and looked around, their light shining about before Pearl noticed an enormous, distended arm in the darkness, bound by a glowing chain. She focused her attention further upwards, finally noticing the mismatched face of Diopside staring down at them.

She gave a start and staggered back. It warranted no change in reaction from the enormous fusion. Perhaps she was used to horrified stares.

"Why are you here?" Diopside asked, her calm voice filling with a faint edge. Her gaze focused on Steven now. "I told you not to come here. I asked and you dishonored my request."

Steven looked down, ashamed for a moment before he looked up at her. "I'm sorry, but we needed information. It's very important! We need to know everything about White Diamond."

"And they know about Steven," Garnet added. "What we don't know is what their next plan is."

Diopside's eyes narrowed and she straightened a little. The calm face rotated and the enraged face spoke now, snarling.

"IT LIED TO US! IT BROUGHT THEM HERE TO TRAP US LIKE THE REST!"

The calm voice rotated back, speaking evenly. "No. Perhaps I've been hasty in my assumption. Let's hear what they need to say." she said, "Let's see what they come up with. We've been here for thousands of years. What else is there to do?"

The enormous form shifted, rattling the chains that bound her.

"Before I speak with you, Steven, I must ask; what did you do with the Spinel Cluster?" she asked him.

Steven glanced up at Garnet.

"We've sent them somewhere she can rest." Garnet answered for him.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't asking you," Diopside said, her calm voice still carrying an edge. "I was speaking to the half-one. I would rather you leave the room so that we can discuss what he wants alone."

"Who are you to give us any - " Jasper began, frowning.

Steven looked at the others. "It's okay. I'll be fine."

"Alright. But we're right outside." Jasper said, giving Diopside harsh glare.

Once they filed out of the room, Diopside looked down at Steven, lowering her head so that she was close enough to study him.

"You've come far and gone through great effort to find me," she said, "Though I truly wish you'd left well enough alone. Look at me. How can you even stand the sight of me? Knowing what I am?"

"That's not your fault," Steven argued, gently. "White Diamond did that to you."

The fusion sighed, straightening on her feet. The shackles that bound her ankles rattled with her movements.

"What can you tell me about White Diamond?" Steven asked.

"White Diamond. Well, there isn't much to say that you may not already know," Diopside began. "One of us served her."

She sighed, shut her eyes. Her gem produced a ray of light and a hologram from her memories. Steven wasn't sure that he wanted to watch what was about to happen, but the fusion would not give him much choice, it seemed.

 _Diopside groaned in agony._

 _White Diamond watched her silently as she loomed over her. "I know you're good gems. I know you've meant only the best. But I'm afraid you thought very little of these choices. There is one goal. One path. And that is Order."_

 _She turned toward a map pinned on the wall. Several locations had been crossed out. She raised her hand to an unmarked location; a place at the center of the Atlantic Ocean._

 _"I have always admired the art of their creation. The symmetry of their ways. The geometry of their beliefs." she said. "I wouldn't seek destruction of this world. In fact, I admire it. I understand what she loved about them. I see it."_

 _Diopside choked out a stream of blue ooze._

 _"Peace was our goal!" she hissed. "Please... Just listen..."_

 _"Oh, I have." White told her, turning to face her now. Her smile widened. "And I don't think you grasp what peace truly means, Diopside. There can never truly be peace without war. The concept is something that seems to be quite confusing among human-kind. The creatures your Rebellion seem to value so much."_

 _Her voice seemed to soften now. Her eyes carried a glimmer of pain. It was a flash, but one that was gone in almost a second._

 _"You have someone in your life. You honor. You revere. The closer they are to you, the greater the pain, but not even I could have imagined such horrors. And I am VERY creative when it comes to punishment..."_

Steven couldn't believe what he was watching. He continued to stare with baited breath and glanced only briefly to Diopside before returning his gaze to the hologram.

 _"You know, I certainly didn't think about it. When we decimated the planet of its rebels, I did not know such corruption would take place. It's facinating, really. Blue and Yellow didn't know either, did they? But it seems as if the combination of our abilities and our wrath brought something..." She extended her hands, savoring the thought of it all. "Beautiful. It brought forth what you truly were - Ugly, flawed, broken slaves."_

 _She turned now, brightening madly. "Tell me, did you see it? The result of our work?"_

 _When she noticed the sorrowful grimace on the twin faces of the fusion, she nodded and made her way closer to her. "Good."_

 _Her fingers grabbed Diopside's gem situated on her chest and Diopside shrieked, dropping to her knees when a charge surged through her from White's hands. "Aww," she pouted with false sympathy, "Does that hurt? Imagine the crumbling of a divine body, the twisting of a soul. Imagine dying. Imagine what it means to have your gem crushed over and over. Only then, will you have the right to say you know what true pain is."_

 _Diopside shut her eyes, a single tear sliding down her cheeks. The memory changed now, revealing White Diamond standing beside her. She asked it again. Where the other gems of Rose's forces were hiding._

 _"I can't..." Diopside moaned, sobbing. "I can't..."_

 _"I told you, if you reveal to me their location, then your pain stops," White told her, still smiling, "Do you believe that you can never truly suffer worse than I have made you suffer? That's the beauty of my work, Diopside; the old pain cannot be dulled by the new."_

 _"Please, no more..."_

 _"It only stops when you do."_

 _Diopside continued making sounds of agony before she lowered her head. "I-In the Tower. The Home of Bells... That's where you'll find them..."_

 _White nodded. Her features never changed. "Thank you, Diopside."_

 _She gave the fusion a gentle pat on her head, which made Diopside flinch._

 _"Good, good," White said, her tone light and happy, but carrying a darker promise, "And since you've done so well, you get to watch what becomes of them."_

Steven watched as the Diamond in the hologram departed. Then, it was over and Diopside turned to him. So that was what she wanted. There was no way to change her mind. She didn't do these things just to do them. She acted because she truly believed that what she was doing was right.

"White Diamond does everything for a reason," Diopside explained, "And as I've told you before, it will not stop. She is patient and will wait centuries for what she desires."

Steven considered this before he looked up at her.

"We can help you," he told her. "You don't have to be here alone."

Diopside chuckled gently. Then, she looked confused. "How strange, I laughed..." she said, "I haven't laughed in over seventeen centuries."

Steven didn't see why she laughed.

"I think White Diamond did well by us, in a way," Diopside continued, "We hated one another so much. We constantly fought each other, even in Rose's army. There was no pause in our squabbles. But now, we've learned to adapt to each other's presence. You truly can bond in the wake of suffering."

"I just wish it didn't have to be that way," Steven argued, quietly.

"Just because something is, doesn't mean it can be." Diopside reminded him. "Life isn't the paradise you wish it. There are no happy endings, especially in war."

Steven sighed heavily. "I know, I know..."

Diopside's features smoothed out a little when she sensed the despair in the human. "I know you want to try, but there are some gems beyond convincing. And sometimes...you have to do what's necessary, no matter how horrible that may be."

Steven nodded, though he didn't want to understand it. He never wanted to go to any lengths the way his mother had. He wanted to do better.

"You really want to keep staying here?" he asked her, after a moment.

"Yes."

"Okay."

Steven turned to leave, but Diopside's voice halted him. "Wait. There is just one more thing..." she said. When Steven looked back at her, she curiously tilted her head. "How much do you trust your teammates? How good is their word?"

The way her voice trickled with near malevolence made Steven shiver. He frowned at her.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Gems have done terrible things in the wake of fear; some do so to save themselves," Diopside explained. Her eyes seemed heavy and she looked piteous for him. "I hope you understand that."

Steven definitely thought about it.

Then, he thought about Spinel and faced the fusion again. "Hey, uh, do you know Spinel?"

Diopside frowned thoughtfully. "Spinel?" She thought about it again before brightening. "Ah! The little messenger of Pink Diamond! Oh yes, we know of her indeed."

Steven smiled hopefully. "Really?"

"Yes, she came here, looking for White Diamond," Diopside told him, "Mm, a pity what happened afterwards."

"Why?" Steven looked worried. "What happened?"

Diopside glanced up toward a corner in the ceiling. "There's security cameras here. May still work, actually. It would shed some light on Spinel's visit." she explained, "The poor little messenger saw something she shouldn't have seen and...well...we both know what happens when White Diamond becomes upset."

"She doesn't remember anything," Steven was concerned.

"Best thing for her, really. She wanted to warn her Diamond about it. White Diamond had plans for her; these plans didn't go through because of the chaos of the evacuation, but..." Diopside sighed sadly. "Tell her she has my sympathies."

O

Steven and the gems made their way up the stairs, discussing what they'd learned from Diopside. Jasper had been more cautious about what Spinel may have seen or what had happened.

"We should see if we can get that footage," Pearl told them. "Maybe we can let Spinel decide if she wants to see it."

"She's not in the best way right now." Steven reminded her. "But maybe we should. She has a right to know what happened."

Jasper looked around. "The security footage would probably be up front at the checkpoint. Most of them would be archived."

They made their way to the front of the facility where Jasper described and began to search. Sure enough, a few archived feeds were left in the wall, marked for each specific location in the building. They retrieved one for the main hallway and played it.

"These are the most recent files," Pearl told them, "It should give us what we need about Spinel's presence here and what it had to do with Pink Diamond."

The feed began to play, filtering through static of gems racing out of the facility. After time passed, Spinel was shown eventually entering.

" _Okay, well, no one's here. Hm. Must be off on a break."_

 _She began walking down the corridors, looking around. "Hello? I have a message for White Diamond from Pink Diamond!"_

 _A low moan and Spinel furrowed her brow, leaning to one side._

Steven's eyes slowly widened. "She didn't know about the evacuation."

For some reason, Jasper couldn't take her eyes away from the hologram. What was the message that Spinel had delivered from Pink Diamond? What was important about it?

Steven changed up the tablets when Spinel vanished from the hologram. He switched on another one that revealed her walking down the long flight of stairs that would lead to where White Diamond housed her experiments.

 _"Hello?" Spinel called, "Anybody here? Hello?"_

 _A soft groaning sound again and Spinel followed the noise into a room. It took a few moments before she backed out of it, horror on her face. She whimpered with fright, backing up slowly until she bumped into a gem no one had seen before; it looked strange, almost like White Diamond herself, but without the elegant cloak, slick back short silver hair and wide-open eyes._

"Who's that?" Steven asked, frowning.

"Onyx." Jasper said, curling her nose with disgust. "White Diamond's favorite toys."

Steven wanted to ask what an Onyx was, but he was stuck on what was going on in the hologram.

 _"Ah!" Spinel was almost at tears. "Please, please, I don't want to go back in there!"_

 _The Onyx stared at her, tilting her head. "You are not authorized to have entered that room," she replied, in a flat, emotionless voice._

 _"I-I know! I'm sorry, I just..." Spinel looked over her shoulder, shaking and frightened. "I had a message for White Diamond. But I..."_

 _Onyx watched her silently, a cold and pitiless statue. "You will come with me below and we will contact White Diamond ourselves, messenger. You do not belong here."_

 _Spinel stared at her, confused. She looked over her shoulder, shaking her head. "B-But that's where the bad gems go. I'm not a bad gem!"_

 _"You cannot be permitted to leave." Onyx warned now. "If you do, I fear I will resort to crippling your legs."_

 _Spinel gave a cry of fright and turned, speeding away in a blur of pink. Before Spinel could flee the building, the door slammed shut in her face. She yelped, turned and faced Onyx, who advanced onto her. Slowly, she drew two swords from her gem._

 _"That door is programmed to stop the only gems who cannot be stopped if they flee," she told her. "Because of what you witnessed, you cannot be allowed to leave."_

 _"W-Where will I go?" Spinel stammered._

 _"That is for White Diamond to decide. Now...remain where you are. This will be swift."_

Immediately, it was cut off by Steven. "Okay, that's enough." he said, shutting the hologram off. "We don't have to watch anymore."

"That explains why she was in that facility," Jasper said, gravely. "It wasn't for transport. She was probably scheduled to be shattered."

"Yes, but in the chaos, she was forgotten." Garnet added.

A weeping sound filled the air, drawing their attention toward another hallway. A pale, white form was sitting on the floor, bone-thin with tattered white hair. Long, bony fingers clenched shoulders and the figure began to sway a little. The others were immediately on edge, weapons drawn.

"Hello?" Steven carefully called.

The swaying stopped. Steven carefully approached, despite the warnings from the others. He frowned, reaching out to touch the shoulder of the figure.

Suddenly, the figure turned with a horrid screech and Steven recoiled with a shout, falling flat on his backside.

The creature was a gem given the familiar shape of an onyx stone on its forehead, but bore a resemblance to a corruption. It crouched on all fours and opened its mouth, revealing long, sharp teeth. It began to advance, but the others noticed more joined in, emitting a chorus of snarls and hisses.

"O-Okay..." Steven stammered, backing away.

The orrupted gem that he'd approached sniffed the air for a moment before gurgling. Its lips began to move, twitching as if it took great effort.

"Pink...Diamond..." it gurgled.

The others stood there in horrified silence. Jasper even looked disturbed by what she'd just heard. For a moment, nothing happened between the Crystal Gems and the corruptions.

"The corruption...spoke..." Pearl managed to get out.

The gems around the first one began to chant Pink Diamond over and over, advancing on all fours. Jasper's helmet appeared on her head and she charged with a shout, knocking them away before she looked at the others.

"Go!" she ordered.

They quickly rushed down the hall with the corruptions in pursuit. The creatures slid across the floor, snarling and teeth snapping. Jasper flung a desk behind her in an effort to slow them down. One of them collided with the desk while the others continued their chase.

Once they reached the outside, Jasper immediately worked on shutting the door. She grasped both ends and grunted as she forced them shut, moments as a hand from one of the corruptions lunged out passed her head. It tackled into Pearl, knocking her into the snow.

Jasper looked over her shoulder, quickly moving as Pearl struggled against the gem. She had her spear pressed into its chin, attempting to keep it away.

"Get off of me, you horrible... I'll destroy you!" Pearl shouted.

Jasper grabbed the gem, struggling with it in her hand. It snapped, screeched and thrashed wildly in her clutches before she crushed its form, dispelling the gem.

"They knew..." she snarled, panting. "They knew about Pink Diamond." She turned to face the others. "How did these things know about her?"

"Some corrupted gems hold onto bits and pieces of their memories," Garnet told her, "Perhaps they heard it mentioned by White Diamond a long time ago. Let's just return to the temple and discuss it there. This is not the place for Steven to linger."

Steven was shivering and holding himself. Jasper looked down at him for a moment and realized that Garnet was right. They would discuss this later.


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two: Even You

~O~

 **Chapter Twenty-Two: Even You**

"Spinel, calm down!"

Spinel was starting to hyperventilate, moaning about how it was her fault. Connie was attempting to get her to 'find her calm place' as far as Jasper noticed from the kitchen. Connie was holding Spinel and looked at Amethyst.

"What does she like?" she asked.

Amethyst smiled triumphantly. "Puppies! She likes puppies!"

"Okay," Connie looked at Spinel, attempting to calm her. "Imagine puppies!" She made grand gestures with her arms. "A...A sea of puppies as far as you can see! You're swimming in the puppies! They're fuzzy and soft! They make you happy!"

Spinel continued panting, clutching at her chest.

Jasper approached them and scowled down at Spinel. "Spinel, stand up." she ordered, speaking in a tone she'd use to address her troops.

Connie and Amethyst stared at her in protest.

"Jasper, be easy," Connie said, "She's freaking out."

Jasper held up a hand in her face, interrupting her. She glared at Spinel sternly. "Spinel, I gave you an order. Now STAND."

Amethyst glared at her now. She rose and gestured to Spinel. "Do you really gotta be like that with her right now?"

Jasper ignored her and her stare intensified. "Spinel. Stand. NOW."

Spinel gave a moan of protest, but did as Jasper asked and shakily stood on her feet.

"Now. I want you to march in place and count to ten."

"W-What? Why?"

"Don't ask questions. Just follow an order!"

Spinel continued to whimper, but did as Jasper asked and began to march in place. Amethyst and Connie watched the scene with a mixture of disgust and confusion. This felt cruel, even by Jasper's standards. Amethyst glared at her furiously.

"Spinel, stop doing that!" she snapped, "She's being a clod. You don't have to listen to her."

Again, Jasper ignored the accusations and watched as Spinel continued counting to ten as ordered. She took a few deep gulps of air and Jasper's eyes softened only the slightest. She remembered how hard it had been all the same. Now that she'd seen the things the messenger had seen...

"Count your breath." she said, evenly. "Keep counting."

Spinel gave another pitiful sound, but managed a weak smile and did as she ordered. When Amethyst and Connie realized what Jasper was doing, they also seemed relieved.

Later that evening, Pearl and Jasper spent their time together on the roof of the temple, watching the stars above.

"I'm getting soft..." Jasper murmured.

Pearl shook her head. "I don't think that's true. You have something to protect, and in my experience, that can make you strong."

Jasper made a thoughtful sound. "Yeah. Years ago, I would have screamed in Spinel's face to toughen up. Now I'm helping her the way you helped me."

Pearl rubbed her arm gently and leaned against her. "I'd say you're doing exactly what you should be doing," she told her, with an affectionate smile. "I think Pink Diamond would be proud of you."

"You really think so?" Jasper suddenly seemed doubtful.

Pearl chuckled and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I know so."

Jasper thought about it. Her mind wandered to Yellow Diamond's 'way of education'. Sometimes it conflicted her. One side wanted her to be strong by hurting others, and the other wanted her to be strong by saving them. It was a struggle she knew she wasn't going to always win, but if she tried, that was important.

At least, that's what she was slowly learning each day.

Maybe that was important too.

While they were talking, Amethyst was looking around the house for Spinel. When she heard soft crying from the stairway closet, she opened the door and found Spinel sitting inside, buried beneath rows of board games.

"Spinel..." she said, with a sad sigh.

"It was my fault..." Spinel mumbled, wiping her eyes. "My fault they were like that."

Amethyst frowned at her. "Spinel, White Diamond did that to them. You didn't."

Spinel seemed to think about something before she clenched her teeth and began smacking her head against the wall with grunts of frustration. Amethyst reached out and put two hands on her head.

"Hey, stop that!" she hissed. "Stop doing that. Stop it."

Spinel continued to cry softly, hiding her face in her arm. Amethyst crawled into the closet with her and shut the door. Only the faint glow of their gems lit up the closet.

"Why do you keep saying it's your fault?" Amethyst asked.

"They're my sisters." Spinel said, wiping her eyes. "I'm supposed to be there for them. I wasn't. I wasn't..."

Amethyst sighed and was silent for a moment, thinking about how she once blamed herself for what had happened with her, and her own Prime sisters.

"Spinel, I know it's not much, but you have me," she assured her. "And we'll fix your sisters. I promise. They wouldn't want you beating yourself up over what happened."

Spinel sniffled a little before she laughed softly. "Yeah, they wouldn't..."

Amethyst chuckled. "Well, look at that, I got a smile out of you after all."

Spinel sputtered another laugh and hid her face in her hand.

"We'll get through this, I promise," Amethyst assured her. "And when we find White Diamond, we'll kick her butt for every single one of your sisters."

Spinel smiled and put her arms around her.

For the moment, they were quiet.

"Can we sleep here tonight?" Spinel asked, softly.

"Sure. But between you and me, the top of the fridge is the best place."

Once Spinel was asleep, Amethyst met up with Pearl in the kitchen. The other gem was looking at the security feed with a conflicted frown.

"Jasper asleep too?" Amethyst guessed.

"Mm-hm." Pearl didn't look at her. "I've just been thinking."

Amethyst frowned now and looked down at the data Pearl kept. "What's this?" she asked.

"Data from the Antarctic facility," Pearl explained, bringing up the hologram. "It shows that Spinel was there and she was confronted by an Onyx. The thing of it is, she had a message to White Diamond from Pink Diamond, but we haven't been able to figure out what it is yet."

Amethyst watched the feed gravely. The more she looked at it, the angrier she was getting.

"If we show this to Spinel, it could help trigger a memory," Pearl continued.

"Nope." Amethyst said, gathering the plates in her hands. "Nope, we're not doing that."

Pearl looked at her in disbelief. "Amethyst! Were are you going with those?"

Amethyst was walking toward her room. "I'm gonna smash 'em!"

"What? Why?" Pearl exclaimed, moving in front of her now. "We need those to help Spinel regain her memories of what happened."

Amethyst shook her head and looked uncomfortable. "No, no way. She's been through enough. She doesn't need to see this."

"I don't understand," Pearl argued, "Didn't you want to..."

She trailed herself off when she noticed Amethyst look away. She frowned thoughtfully, tilting her head. Then, her features slowly lit up with realization.

"Oh..."

Amethyst's cheeks darkened a little. "Don't look at me like that, Pearl," she muttered, looking away. "I just... I just don't want her to be upset anymore, okay?"

Pearl managed a small smile.

"What?" Amethyst growled, embarrassed.

She made her way into her room without another word.

O

Spinel seemed to occupy herself with a candy heart. Connie was explaining Valentine's Day with her and she chewed on the chalky candy with a grimace on her face.

"Ew." she said, "Why do humans eat this?"

Connie laughed at her faces. "Spinel, you don't have to eat it if you don't want to." she told her.

Spinel sighed with relief. "Good! I was eating it to be polite."

"I'm glad you're feeling better." Connie told her.

Spinel smiled and nodded. She paced around a little before brightening. "I've never had friends before," she replied, "I mean, besides my sisters." Her smile disappeared a little. "I just wish I'd been there for them. Sisters should stick together."

Connie nodded in agreement. Then, she straightened and sighed. "Hey, I'm gonna go inside and start working on my Valentines cards for class."

Spinel nodded and stood up, stretching. "Okay! I need to run to Rome to get a Gyro. Want one?"

"No thank you."

Spinel sprinted off quickly in a streak of pink light after a salute. Connie smiled, shook her head and walked into the house. She noticed Amethyst sitting at the couch, working on a card. Connie was curious and made her way over to her.

"Hey, Amethyst!" she said, "What are you making?"

Amethyst gave a yelp and hid it behind her back, eyes wide as if she'd been caught doing something bad.

"Nothing!" she exclaimed.

Connie stared at her, a little surprised. "Uh, okay…?"

Amethyst didn't notice Garnet approach behind her and reach back to take what she'd been making.

Amethyst gave a frantic cry and reached up to take it back, but Garnet was holding it out of reach to read the card. It had been a drawing of Spinel in a crimson heart. Garnet looked down at Amethyst, who suddenly looked smaller than usual.

A smile lit Garnet's face and Amethyst groaned. "No, don't do that look, Garnet!" she groaned, "It's not that big of a de - OOF!"

She was snatched up in Garnet's arm in an embrace.

"You like Spinel!" Garnet exclaimed, delighted by this news.

Steven was walking into the house, a cup and straw in hand. "Who likes Spinel?" he asked.

Amethyst groaned, hanging there limply in Garnet's arm. "UGH!"

Steven smiled brightly, leaning against Garnet's leg to look up at the other gem. "Amethyst, this is really great! You should just give Spinel the card and tell her how you feel!"

Amethyst groaned, sliding free from Garnet's arm and, burying her face in a couch cushion, embarrassed by the attention. "Can you guys just stop talking…?" she groaned, miserable. "I already feel stupid."

"Don't feel stupid, Amethyst." Garnet assured her. "It's okay to feel something for her. Spinel is…an interesting character. Plus, I think it'll be good for both of you."

Amethyst sighed heavily. "How do you know?"

"Because Spinel's probably never had someone care about her," Steven spoke before Garnet could, "And it would be really great."

Amethyst huffed and straightened where she sat. "You're right. I'll just forget the card. I'll just talk to her instead." she said. "Where is she?"

"Outside. I think I saw her eating a Gyro." Steven told her, pointing.

Sure enough, Spinel was outside on the front porch, busy munching down on her Gyro. She smiled and made happy sounds before pausing once to peek into the wrapped sandwich, murmuring with interest.

"How DO these humans do it?" she wondered, grinning happily.

She dropped some of the Gyro on the porch when its contents began to pour out from the wrapper. She grimaced, reaching for a broom to sweep up the mess, humming a song to herself.

"Yeah, she is quite a catch." Garnet remarked.

Amethyst nodded and took a breath. "Okay, I'm going out there and I'm going to be real."

"Good luck!" Steven told her.

Amethyst walked out to the front porch, watched Spinel for a few moments before she spoke.

"Hey, Spinel?" she said, "You, uh, got a minute?"

Spinel glanced back at her, smiled and nodded. She turned completely and stopped sweeping, leaning against the broom handle. "Hey, Amethyst. What's new?"

"Um, well, I just wanted to talk to you about something," Amethyst told her, rubbing the back of her head. She laughed nervously, wiping her forehead with one hand.

Spinel stared at her curiously, tilting her head. She glanced down at the mess that had once been a Gyro and made a face.

"Oh, I'm rude. I should have asked if you wanted me to get you one." she said. She grunted, smacking herself once on the forehead.

"No that's not…" Amethyst uttered a frustrated sound. "What I meant was that I wanted to tell you something. I mean, say I know someone who…might like you."

Spinel looked a little confused now, frowning slightly. Then, she chuckled. "Well, I think everybody does." She furrowed her brow again. "Except Peridot. That's debatable."

Amethyst grimaced. Well, this wasn't going as well as she'd hoped. "No, I mean. Someone like-likes you." She tried to get the words out. "Do you know what I'm saying?"

Spinel nodded with a wide smile, then she slowly shook her head. "No."

Amethyst groaned again.

Spinel's smile disappeared only a fraction when a flicker of thought crossed her eyes. Then, she grinned. "Alright, nice one, Amethyst." she laughed. "I'm dumb, but I'm not THAT dumb."

Pearl approached Garnet and Steven, curiously watching the scene between Spinel and Amethyst. She tilted her head before looking at the two beside her.

"So what's going on with them?" she asked.

"Amethyst is trying to tell Spinel that she likes her." Steven explained.

Pearl watched the sight with amusement.

While they spoke, Spinel still seemed to be incapable of comprehending what Amethyst was trying to say. The fact that she called herself dumb once again stirred an anger in Amethyst's chest. She hated when Spinel spoke about herself that way,

"You're not dumb! I'm saying that someone like-likes you and it's ME!" Amethyst suddenly shouted.

Spinel gave a start and stared at her, eyes wide in confusion and shock. She didn't seem to completely understand for a moment. Amethyst stared at her, unnerved by the look. Eventually, she mistook her silence as rejection and huffed, turning to go.

"This was a mistake…" she said.

"Wait, wait a minute," Spinel stopped her, leaning the broom against the wall. "Don't go." When Amethyst stopped and looked at her, Spinel genuinely looked lost. "You…like me? Like that?"

Amethyst scoffed and stared at her in disbelief. She didn't blame the other gem, of course. "Of course I do! That's what I've been trying to say!"

"Wow. Really?" Spinel's gaze wandered a little. She rubbed her arm once; a distracted gesture. It was an interesting change in her than none of them had seen before. "Huh. That's…new. I mean, I thought I liked you like that, but I thought I was being stupid again. I wasn't made to - "

Amethyst scowled at her, clenching her fists at her sides. "Stop calling yourself stupid!" she shouted. "You're NOT STUPID!"

Spinel flinched a little at her shout, surprise lighting her face. Needless to say, the others watching looked just as surprised. Amethyst was always open when she needed to be, but seeing her like this with another gem was a change in itself.

Spinel looked hopelessly confused. She glanced around a bit, her distracted and playful behavior gone from her face. "I'm sorry. It's just…no one's ever told me otherwise. I mean…" She rubbed her arm again, suddenly staring up at Amethyst with a shy smile. "What do I do?"

Amethyst approached her, took her hand and smiled up at the other gem. Spinel's cheeks darkened in a pink blush and she managed to giggle a little, looking away briefly.

"Whatever you want, Spinel." Amethyst finally said.

O

Amethyst and Spinel sat together in her room and talked most of the day; they were sitting across from each other and eventually, Spinel couldn't help but look at her with awe.

"Why me?" she asked. "Why a messenger?"

Amethyst laughed quietly and shook her head. "Why not you?"

Spinel didn't seem to be interested in arguing further. She then grinned and covered her mouth with one hand, giggling in a giddy manner. Amethyst chuckled and smiled at the sight.

"I was a messenger, remember?" Spinel told her. "We couldn't have consorts."

"Was there ever a time when you wanted to be different?" Amethyst asked, genuinely curious.

Spinel looked thoughtful for a moment. She blushed a little and chuckled. "Well, there was this ONE time…" she began. "But it's…silly."

"Dude, tell me." Amethyst quietly insisted, shaking her hand; she'd been holding it the whole time.

Spinel stared at her for a moment, hesitant. Then, she laughed quietly.

 _Spinel walked down the hallways of Pink Diamond's court that evening. She whistled cheerfully to herself before entering a training hall. She was looking around for signs of a Quartz soldier she needed to deliver a message to._

 _"Hello?" she called. "Anyone here? I have a message for a Jasper!"_

"No one was there, but I saw a cloak lying against the wall. I don't know why, but…I liked it. No one was around, so I tried it on. And I guess it made me feel…strong."

 _Spinel draped the cloak across her shoulders and studied herself in the mirror. She smiled and sat in a chair nearby._

"I don't know why I put that cloak on. It probably belonged to a jasper or gypsum. But I honestly felt really awesome when I did. I can't tell you what it was like, but I mean, I felt…better. Better than I was made to be. It was great."

 _Spinel stood up, posing with a sword. She grinned with pride._

" _Stand and face the mighty Pink Spinel!" she bellowed, in a voice befitting a jasper._

 _She pretended to thrust the sword a few times, but lost her balance and stumbled, falling to the floor. When she straightened and looked around, a laugh escaped her._

"My chest hurt. I mean, I think it hurt. It felt like there was a butterfly there, just flying around."

Garnet had been listening to the conversation outside of the room. It made her think about how Spinel was clearly much different than she thought.

"So what happened next?" Amethyst was heard asking.

A small sigh from Spinel.

"Well, you popped out before you had the chance to know the gems of the Diamond you were made for, so…" Spinel began. She hesitated. "Well, let's just say that not all the gems of her court were…very nice."

Amethyst's smile disappeared.

"I liked everyone, but not everyone liked me." Spinel's voice had grown softer now and she lowered her eyes, tucking her hands into her lap.

 _Spinel happily hummed and twirled in the cloak before two gems stepped into the room; two pink tourmaline's._

 _Immediately, she wavered, dropping it onto the floor and straightening._

" _What… Is that a spinel wearing your cloak?" one of them said, laughing._

 _It wasn't a kind laugh._

" _I - I didn't mean to…" Spinel began._

 _The other tourmaline mocked her, sneering. "Why is it spinel's always talk so stupid?" she sneered. "Do you think it's how they're made?"_

 _Spinel frowned. "I'm not stupid."_

" _You were MADE that way, messenger." the other tourmaline sneered. "No matter how many times you want to be one of us, it'll never change."_

 _Spinel bit her lip, attempting not to cry. She clenched her fists and glared up at them, forcing resolve in her voice._

" _Well, at least I'm a nice gem!" she shouted. "I'm not trying to be mean all the time like you!" She turned to leave, ignoring their cruel smiles. "I don't know why I wanted to be gems like you! You're just cruel and heartless!"_

 _They continued to laugh as Spinel stormed away. She waited until she was absolutely alone in her room - a simple sparse chamber - before she started to cry._

Amethyst scowled. "They made you cry?"

Spinel shrugged her shoulders. She passed it off as nothing. "Well, I cry a lot." she replied, "I just cried over a sunset yesterday. I mean, yeah, that was a really pretty sunset."

"Didn't you ever want to prove those gems wrong?" Amethyst asked. "I mean, didn't it tick you off the way they treated you?"

Spinel sighed through her nose and seemed to think about that. "I don't have a lot of anger, Amethyst." she replied. She gave a nervous giggle now before glancing down at her gem. She ran her thumb over it for a moment before shrugging. The look she gave Amethyst next was almost crippling. "I'm just sad."

Amethyst was quiet before she scoffed and stood up. Spinel stood up with her and Amethyst took her hands in hers.

"Well, what do they know about you anyway?" Amethyst snapped, with a snort, "They missed out on knowing a great gem."

Spinel chuckled quietly. It was so odd seeing her not her usual ridiculous self now.

"Do you think I can be a good gem for you?" she asked, hesitantly.

Amethyst laughed. "Dude, you already are."

Spinel beamed now. "Thank you, Amethyst."

They were quiet for a moment. Amethyst glanced over her shoulder briefly before she grinned now.

"Hey, wanna go share a tub of ice cream and watch movies?" she asked.

Spinel seemed absolutely delighted. "Would I?"

Together, the two walked out of her room and spent the evening sharing a tub of rocky road while watching a cartoon. Spinel was laying her head in Amethyst's lap the entire time.

Garnet smiled as she watched them.

Perfect pair indeed.


	23. Chapter Twenty-Three: Sword Dancer

**Dovahkiin795** \- I didn't do that part in canon. This is an AU. Only some parts of canon I chose to keep in this fic.

~O~

 **Chapter Twenty-Three: Sword Dancer**

[Several days earlier]

White Diamond's eyes were closed.

The wires that connected her body to the ceiling above shifted only the slightest with an infinitesimal movement in her hands. Resting in her throne, alone in the dark chamber where all sound and activity remained silent.

" _White?"_

White displayed her teeth with a quiet hiss in rebuke.

" _Why won't you talk to me?"_

Her long-nailed hands clutched the arms of the throne, hard.

" _You could always talk to me, remember?"_

 _She's hurting. I see how it hurts her._

White's hands shot up to her head with a fierce snarl.

Whispers.

Forgotten melodies from an era long passed. Hurtful, agonizing colors of warmth slipped unbidden into her head. Shapes from passing memories took form in her head.

A miscalculation.

It should have all been gone.

" _Something's hurting you. What is it? Would you tell me?"_

 _Be gone._

It had been Rose Quartz. Always Rose Quartz. A thing of torment that brought forth the horrors of the past.

A stray laugh she didn't recognize. Less synthetic. More emotional.

White Diamond's eyes opened. She looked around the room before focusing her attention to the monitors; they displayed everything that happened on Homeworld. She could see Yellow and Blue in the midst of an argument with one another. Pointless, no doubt.

White leaned back, reaching up to touch the wire that connected to the base of her neck. She shut her eyes for a moment, leaned her head back.

A synthetic chuckle escaped her lips.

She rose from her throne and wandered across the chamber, passing the completed symbol of their authority on the floor. White smiled brightly, forgetting the images in her mind in place of another.

She knelt down, stroking her long, black nails across the pink diamond-shaped symbol. White Pearl suddenly drifted into the room with that perpetual smile on her face.

"White Diamond. Yellow Diamond has arrived." she informed her.

"Let her in." White said.

The sounds of heels approaching filled the air and she didn't look up when Yellow Diamond entered her chamber.

"White." Yellow said, her tone hard, but filled with a careful concern.

"Hello, Yellow," White greeted, clasping her hands together, "Welcome. What can I do for you?"

Yellow grimaced and rubbed her forehead with two fingers. "White, we heard the sound. I only came to make sure you get back to sleep."

White suddenly looked sharply up at her. Her dreamy smile was gone in place of a wide-eyed, unsettling stare. "I have slept enough."

"Yes, perhaps." Yellow replied, regarding her uncertainly. "I have made sure to perform all necessary duties as - "

"Have you, now?" White stood up, raising her eyebrows with a new smile. "Clearly I have witnessed that not being the case. The creatures that scuttle about on Earth did nothing to interest me, as you know. But as of yesterday, I was able to speak to one of them. One who fled your clutches rather easily, I should add."

Yellow laughed bitingly, shaking her head. "That wasn't my doing!" she snapped, "I warned Blue that we should destroy them and be done with it! But she insisted that - "

The entire time, White had slowly stalked toward her like a dangerous predator, backing her toward a nearby wall. She pressed a finger to Yellow's lips, shushing her like a petulant child. Yellow was not one to openly display fear of any kind, but White watched a flicker of concern and uneasiness cross her eyes.

"Shhh. Hush, Yellow. Excuses do not concern me and as you know, I've little patience for them." she told her. A smile suddenly brightened her entire face. "Aww, don't be so frightened of me. Are we not the same, you and I?"

Yellow watched her pull away, frowning uncertainly.

White backed away toward a mural, giving it a loving caress over an image of Pink Diamond. She smiled and Yellow watched her, furrowing her brow.

"White. Did you see them?" she asked.

"I did," White said. She furrowed her brow and turned toward Yellow again. "It's...puzzling to me, dear Yellow how Rose Quartz managed to elude you."

Yellow swallowed thickly. "It was...unfortunate."

"Yes." White's smile thinned slightly as she studied her. "Tell me; who is to be punished for this error? Was it your doing?"

"No! No."

"Oh, I see. So Blue is worthy of the punishment, then?" White tilted her head with a smile now.

Yellow shook her head rapidly. "No, she isn't, I - "

White chuckled somewhat. "Well, we couldn't just put the blame on simple gems doing their job, do we? After all..." Her gaze darkened. "That isn't something you do."

She stared at her for a few moments more before turning. "Well, I have someone who will bring Rose Quartz back to us. One of my Onyx's will personally volunteer for this duty."

Yellow reacted to the name.

"Come. Let me show you."

They entered an enormous sanctum built to honor White Diamond's visage. A single gem was standing there, awaiting the arrival of her Authority.

This was an Onyx.

She stood as tall as a jasper; her thin, bone - white form constrasted with the pitch black, oval-shaped gem on her forehead. Her almond - shaped eyes were wide and vacant, her lips pursed in a thin line. The hair on her head was short and smooth, not a single strand out of place.

The uniform she wore was also white; a long cloak wrapped around her shoulders and trailed a pool behind her. She looked almost as magnificent as any Diamond.

"Onyx model 435-cut 7H-A." White began to explain. "She is my prized Onyx; performing impeccable tasks worthy of a Diamond herself.

White nodded once in acknowledgement and approached Onyx. "The Onyx train from dawn until dusk on this colony. Most of the Onyx I observe and teach do not survive their training. Those who do possess the utmost discipline and loyalty. They do not fear the inevitability of being shattered, therefore they know no limits."

Yellow seemed doubtful. "Even my bravest soldiers fear something."

"Your bravest soldiers feel, that is their weakness," White reminded her. "But the Onyx soldiers in my command do not. All questions and weaknesses have been taken from them." She stared down at the emotionless gem with a smile of pride. "She will not fail."

O

Yellow froze at the sound of music and it drew a horrified shudder from her. She didn't want to hear of it or think about where it had come from.

Pink Diamond's music box.

White cradled it in her hand and stared at it for a moment. Slowly, she shut her eyes as she recalled the memory that it carried with it.

 _"Pink."_

 _Pink Diamond glared at her room door angrily. "Go away, White. I don't want to talk to you right now."_

 _"Well, you certainly cannot stay in there forever." White attempted to regain control over the argument. She glanced down at the music box in her hand. "I've decided to return the music box to you. I feel as if you've earned it back."_

 _A pause. "I don't want it."_

 _White blinked, surprise lighting her otherwise passive face. She stared at the door as if she hadn't heard correctly. "What?" she asked._

 _"I don't want it anymore," Pink said, from behind the door. "You were right. I should be a Diamond, right? And Diamonds don't..." Her voice forced an air of strength to it. "Diamonds don't play with silly things. Isn't that what you want?"_

 _White furrowed her brow. She glanced down at the music box. "I made this for you, Pink."_

 _Pink stared at the door, taken by the mild sting in White's voice. She hadn't expected it. White often times rebuffed the things she enjoyed; this time, it sounded different._

 _"Why make things for me only to take them away?" Pink said, sadly. "Are you really that cruel?"_

White stared at the music box in her hand. She raised a single finger and pressed it to the aged buttons, activating it and playing the melody again.

And again.

And again.

O

Pearl exited the temple and passed Peridot and Lapis. Peridot was scrolling through a few photos she had taken on her tablet. She stopped Pearl with a grin.

"Oh! Pearl, you have to look at this photo Lapis and I took!" she said.

Pearl murmured thoughtfully, taking the tablet. She scrolled through the photos, not quite sure what Peridot wanted her to see.

"Lapis and I were going for a morning flight when we've located enemy movement in the forest north from here." Peridot explained. "It was making its way toward a human museum."

A lot of the photos saved were of Lapis and Peridot making ridiculous faces - some of them were actually quite adorable, if Pearl had to admit it. Peridot laughed a little at the photos.

"Oh, Lapis took this one on the top of the temple," Peridot said, chuckling.

Another swipe and a photo of Lapis laughing.

"Oh, I was laughing because Peridot fell off of the temple again." Lapis said, unable to hide her laughter behind her hand.

"Yes..." Peridot quipped, annoyed by the laughter.

Pearl looked toward Garnet and Jasper, still holding the tablet as she approached. She swiped photos until coming up with a blurred image of a Cluster Gem.

"Garnet, take a look at this." she said.

Garnet picked up the tablet, studied the photo. "Alright, we have another Cluster Gem to retrieve." she told the others. "Let's go."

O

Onyx stepped down from her drop ship - which she had hidden in the Prime Kindergarten. Behind her were two Obsidians. They were hooded and cloaked, towering with the height and build of a Bismuth.

One of the Obsidians were made up entirely of black coloring and green stripes. A hood covered her face, save for a single slot where a pale eye looked out at them and a tub connected to her mouth around her neck. The shimmer of her gem over her chest cast an eerie shimmer of light across the old Injectors nearby.

Her duplicate was bone white, a complete mirror of the other and instead of a pale eye, it was nothing but pitch.

Onyx approached the ground panel and the two Obsidians followed silently behind her. She waited as it drifted deep down into the Kindergarten's control room. Once there, she studied the remnants of the gem Clusters and ran her fingertips over the cracks in the pillars.

"The Clusters cannot be allowed to roam this world," she said, her voice devoid of any emotion. Same as White Diamond. "Find them."

A silent nod from both Obsidians.

Onyx approached the control panel and pressed a few keys on the holographic pad. Immediately, a screen lit up before her and she selected one particular file that interested her. It recorded all form of activity that occured in the control room.

She opened the video feed and watched it open up with an image of Steven.

 _"Hi! I'm Steven."_

Onyx tilted her head slowly like a confused dog. What was this creature? She watched as he seemed to be talking with Peridot over the monitor.

 _"There appears to be an infestation of 'Stevens' in the Kindergarten."_

 _"Daw, I'm not so bad once you get to know me!"_

 _"And how many more Stevens are present in this area?"_

 _"Oh - just me."_

Onyx prepared to fast forward the video feed as she found this conversation to be irrelevant to her particular mission. She continued to fast foward until images of Pearl, Amethyst and Garnet suddenly appeared. She immediately rewound the video feed and allowed it to play again.

 _"Ah! More? But the Red Eye didn't report the presence of any Gems on this planet!"_

Pearl on the monitor scowled. _"That's because we destroyed it."_

 _"You what? But the records say that Gems were wiped out on earth... wait a minute... you're the ones that have been destroying my Plug Robonoids... are you the reason the Homeworld Warp is down again? Is THIS your bizarre icon?" A furious yell from Peridot off screen. "Why do you keep destroying my THINGS?!"_

Pearl on the screen thrust her spear out. _"Because we are the Crystal Gems! We're still alive, and we're still the guardians of this planet and all its living creatures!"_

Onyx tilted her head. How unusual for a pearl to behave in such a way. It warranted an approach and study for her Diamond. She ended the video recording then. The ruby's report had proven correct after all. Onyx would have to locate these gems and Rose Quartz.

O

The Cluster gem had lead the group to a museum. It had been closed, but the sight of a gaping hole in the wall drew their attention. Large enough for the Cluster Gem to fit through. It was an unusual sight for it to seek any interest in human museums.

"What is this?" Peridot quipped, annoyed. She studied the hole for a few moments. "This Cluster Gem is behaving erratically. There is nothing within human preservation halls to warrant any need for this sort of behavior."

Garnet produced her gauntlets.

"All the more reason to put it down." she said.

Jasper glanced down at Pearl, then ran her fingers over the roughened buckle of the metal near her head. Where the Cluster Gem had supposedly gone through.

Something didn't feel right.

Her warrior instincts told her that she had to be cautious.

"Jasper?" Pearl said, quietly. "What is it?"

Jasper peered into the museum before eventually following the other two. Peridot was chatting about "human history on display", but she didn't really listen. Instead, she looked at Pearl with hesitation in her stare.

"This feels wrong," she told her.

Pearl looked a little worried. "What do you mean?"

Jasper passed a painting that portrayed the image of a tiger being pierced by a sword from a large, towering titan. She stopped, studied the mural with a curious frown.

She looked down, noticing a trail of footprints in the floor. Kneeling, she ran her fingertips over the prints, but found that they had been melted into the floor. She had never seen one of her Cluster Gems do anything like that.

As Garnet walked on, every gem froze at the sound of something heavy colliding, followed by a pained screech from what they could only guess was the Cluster Gem. They quickly made their way down the long hallways before stopping.

At the end of the hall was a large figure, hooded and cloaked. The figure was standing on the Cluster Gem with one foot pressed into its chest. She wielded an enormous black and silver hammer.

Peridot's eyes slowly widened with a frightened sound that escaped her throat. The noise seemed to interest the Obsidian because she turned partially in their direction.

"It's an Obsidian!" Peridot screeched.

Pearl backed away slowly, spear at the read. "Obsidian?" she exclaimed. "What are Obsidians and why is she here?"

Peridot shook her head, her eyes haunted. "Obsidians are the cleanup crews on Homeworld. The only reason they'd be here at all is if..."

The Obsidian turned completely, facing them.

"If WHAT?" Pearl cried.

Peridot screeched her words out frantically. "If an Onyx was sent!"

The Obsidian clenched the hammer in her hand tightly.

"There's only one. We can take her down." Garnet promised.

Peridot groaned, shaking her head slowly. She looked absolutely terrified. "You don't understand. There's never just one Obsidian!"

"What do you mean?" Garnet asked.

"They function as a pair!" Peridot screeched, frantically.

As if on cue, heavy footsteps sounded behind them and the other bone-white Obsidian stepped up from around the corner.

"Okay, this might be a problem." Garnet said.

"You think?" Peridot hissed, fearful.

The two Obsidians watched them, their single stares narrowing. They squared themselves, clenching their powerful hammers.

Jasper looked down, noticing the smoke billowing up from the place they stood. Their bodies were literally melting the floor. She had never seen Obsidians before, but she had heard stories about them. How the Diamonds used them to clean up messes left behind in certain failed colonies.

Finally, both Obsidians charged for them.

O

The hammers swung, seconds as the gems separated from the charging Obsidians. Jasper jumped up and delivered a well-placed kick to the White Obsidian's head. It merely warranted a deep grunt from the gem. Jasper's eyes widened and she was seized by her throat.

Jasper gave a choke of pain and grabbed at the thick arm that held her. Several shot to the back of the White Obsidian made her drop Jasper, turn slowly and face Pearl, who had taken shots at her with her spear.

"Get your hands off of her, you Homeworld clod!" she yelled.

Peridot yelled from somewhere. "That's MY LINE!"

Pearl smiled brightly. "Well, that DOES feel good to say!"

Jasper clambered to her feet and her helmet appeared on her head. She snarled at the White Obsidian, charging full force before spinning in an orb of light. She charged into the gem, sending her flying through the wall.

Garnet punched out with her gauntlets, catching the Black Obsidian's hammer swings. Grunts and growls escaped the larger gem.

Pearl quickly rushed toward the hole where Jasper and the White Obsidian had flown through. She noticed Jasper fighting the gem and moved to help, but noticed Peridot huddled under a table, shuddering.

"Why did I accompany you on this suicide mission?" she cried.

"Peridot, get up! Quick!" Pearl ordered, pulling her from the table.

Behind them, the Black Obsidian raised her hammer. It came swinging down, directly on top of a pink rose-colored shield.

Peridot and Pearl looked up in amazement, stunned to see Stevonnie crouched there, shield raised to protect them.

"Stevonnie!" Pearl cried.

They looked back at the two gems, grunting with effort. "We heard the warp pad!" Stevonnie hissed, groaning as they were inched further into the ground. "Thought you needed help!"

Pearl looked toward Jasper, noticing that she was holding back the White Obsidian's hammer with two hands.

"I have to help Jasper, stay here!" she ordered.

"Like...I have a choice?" Stevonnie grunted.

As the battle between the Crystal Gems and the two Obsidians went underway, a shape began approaching. A loud metallic sound filled the air, halting them. All heads turned and they noticed Onyx approaching slowly, her stance strong and proud.

Immediately, the Obsidians had halted their attack and stood straight, their hammers vanishing in thin air. They lowered their heads and the Crystal Gems gathered together.

"Who is that?" Stevonnie asked.

Peridot whimpered, hiding behind them. "Onyx!" she cried.

Stevonnie's eyes widened and they separated with a loud popping sound. Connie and Steven stood close to Peridot and Onyx's eyes focused on Steven - to the shield he wielded, then to the sword in Connie's hands. There was no chance in expression. No surprise.

Nothing.

"It is a curious matter," Onyx said, "Witnessing rebels still living on this forgotten colony. I did not give the ruby's report much credence, yet here you stand. Rebels and..." She matched stares with Peridot and Jasper. "...traitors."

Jasper frowned in response. "I am NO TRAITOR!"

Onyx shook her head. "Of that, I do not understand," she replied, "You have fought my Obsidians by their side. And you appear to have been corrupted at one point or another." She gestured with a tilt of her nose toward the scarred patches on Jasper's arm.

Jasper looked down at her arm briefly.

"And I can see you are no longer. You are simply scarred."

The gems looked at one another. They didn't know of such a thing as 'scarring' a gem. Onyx clearly held more knowledge than they did.

Onyx continued without hesitation. "No. Healing corruption is not possible, even by Rose Quartz's abilities," Onyx continued. "This will certainly be of interest to the Diamond Authority."

Steven raised his shield higher. "Why are you here?" he demanded.

Peridot groaned, shaking her head. "Shh! Don't talk to her!"

Onyx had no change in her expression. Not a single waver in her voice. It was the same constant, flat tone. Like a computer.

Like White Diamond.

"My mission is to seek out the leader of the rebellion and return her to Homeworld, eliminate threats as necessary." Onyx replied, as if it was of no consequence. She looked at Steven now, scrutinizing him. "I see that you possess her shield. Her sword..."

Garnet and Pearl quickly stepped closer to Steven and Connie.

"Rose?" Onyx tilted her head, studying Steven with all the fascination of a scientist. "You appear to be more like a gem crossbreed to me."

Jasper actually looked at Steven now, a little surprised. Did Onyx see what she hadn't been able to see? The idea of Steven being what he was should have disgusted Onyx, but it didn't appear to.

"I know Rose Quartz. And you, child, are not who I seek."

Pearl raised her spear. "You won't find Rose Quartz here! This planet is not a gem-controlled colony anymore!"

Onyx nodded. "That, I certainly do see." she replied, reaching up with two hands. "I believe the answers lie with the accessory she had owned. And that accessory is you."

From her gem, she produced two long, katana-like blades. They were adorned with the symbols of White Diamond on the hilt.

"I will complete my mission," Onyx promised them, her gaze unwavering.

"No, you WONT!" Garnet shouted, charging.

Onyx promptly raised both blades and jumped, spinning through the air in a move similar to Jasper's spinning dash. Garnet raised her gauntlets, attempting to block the move, but Onyx ducked forward, slicing through her form without hesitation.

To the horror of the others, they watched as Garnet disappeared in a burst of smoke; both Ruby and Sapphire's gems fell to the floor. Peridot screamed with horror and Steven and Connie moved quickly.

But Onyx was just as quick. The gems moved as one; Pearl was firing shots from her spear and Onyx spun her blades in front of her like a fan, deflecting each one. She moved quick, fast and elegantly; kicking out, blocking and spinning to avoid their attacks.

One of Pearl's shots got through, striking Onyx in the chest and sending her falling backwards. Pearl smiled triumphantly.

"Hah!" she cried.

Onyx's chest was smoking slightly from the attack. She simply stood back up, brushed the dust from her uniform and charged again. This time, Pearl and Jasper quickly took each other's hands and fused, taking the shape of Carnelian.

Onyx paused in mid-charge, studying them. "A pearl fusing with a jasper." she said, calmly despite this new revelations. "I see that even Yellow Diamond's jasper has been tainted by the spell of the Crystal Gems. To fuse with a lesser being..."

Carnelian showed her teeth in a vicious snarl. It was difficult to tell from what half of the fusion was most enraged by the assumption. Peridot and Steven had gathered Ruby and Saphire's gems up. Connie gestured behind her.

"Get back to the temple!" she cried.

Peridot nodded and quickly hurried off, but not before stopping and grabbing Steven's wrist. He looked at her frantically.

"Peridot, cut it out! They might need help!" he cried.

"Trust me, you don't want to fight an Onyx!" Peridot shouted, "She will shatter you and hand your gem to White on a silver plate!"

"But I can't let the gems fight her alone!"

They turned and started making their way back to the warp pad. Peridot was staring down at the two gems in her hand, frantic.

"Come on! We could use some help here!" she yelled, as if they would somehow hear her and hasten their recovery.

Carnelian's fists came crashing down at Onyx, but the gem promptly jumped out of the way.

"Your emotions are unruly," she calmly said, "You're losing focus. Rage drives you, makes you strong. But in turn, it makes you weak."

Carnelian snarled, an enormous replica of Pearl's spear appearing in her hand. She turned, just as Onyx performed her spinning attack with her blades. She collided with the spear and the force inched the enormous fusion back several paces through the dirt.

When Onyx charged again, Carnelian curled herself up into a ball, the spiked armor appearing on her body. She began to spin, surging toward Onyx with all her rage in her attack. Onyx jumped into the air, avoiding the charge and Carnelian's spinning form turned, attempting to run her over once more.

"You've not fused too often, I see." Onyx continued to speak, as if scolding a bad child. "Your movements lack fluidity; you fight as two. Not one."

"Shut up!" Carnelian shouted, charging again, but this time, not as a spinning orb of spikes. "That's enough out of you!"

Onyx did not move as Carnelian's massive foot came down upon her, trapping her into the ground. Onyx grunted only once, stared up at the furious, glowing stare.

"You are correct," Onyx informed the fusion. "That IS enough."

One of her hands touched the fusion's foot and immediately, an electrical current surged through her. Carnelian shrieked, recoiling seconds before she vanished in a poof of dust and light. Jasper and Pearl's gemstones dropped to the dirt, completely at the mercy of the gem slowly rising.

Onyx knelt down and scooped up Pearl's gem. She briefly regarded Jasper's before turning toward the Obsidians.

"Leave her. She will send a message to the rebels." she said.

The Obsidians merely nodded once before following her. The trio of Homeworld gems simply disappeared into the woods.

O

A flash of light.

Several distorted shapes.

Screaming.

Jasper awoke with a horrified gasp. She focused her bleary gaze and discovered she had reformed, lying in the place where she had fallen. She noticed Steven and the others rushing toward her.

"Jasper!" Steven cried. "Jasper, are you okay?"

Garnet helped Jasper attempt to stand, but the gem stumbled, groaning in pain. Peridot held out two hands and yelped when Jasper fell forward.

"Wha-What did she do to me?" she mumbled.

"Onyx's are equipped with Gem Destabilizers in their gloves." Peridot explained. "It packs more of a punch than your average Destabilizer. Your form may be a bit weak for a while."

Jasper's eyes suddenly widened and she looked around frantically. "Wait, she took Pearl!"

"What?" the gems exclaimed.

Jasper clenched her teeth, pushing Garnet's hand aside. She gave Steven a glare filled with accusation. "You... You let her go! Why did you leave? We COULD HAVE STOPPED HER!"

Peridot scowled. "Onyx would have killed Steven! I had to get him out of here!"

"You don't KNOW THAT!" Jasper shouted.

She grunted, doubled over.

"We have to find Pearl!" Connie exclaimed, looking up at Garnet.

Garnet nodded. "We will."

All heads turned to Peridot. She read each stare and frowned suspiciously. "What are you all looking at me, for?"

"Peridot, you know more about Homeworld than all of us." Garnet said. "We need your help finding her and finding out why she would take Pearl."

Peridot nodded. "Right."

When they returned to the temple, Jasper could do nothing but pace back and forth. She couldn't sit still even for a moment.

"We need to find her," she muttered, "We need to find her!"

Steven smiled happily. "Aww, Jasper, you really care about Pearl!"

Jasper blushed a little, her cheeks warming.

"Okay," Peridot began, watching the other gems gather. "A few things first. You need to know how an Onyx works. Mentally."

"What do you mean?" Amethyst asked.

"An Onyx cannot be reasoned with. In any way shape or form," Peridot explained. "They are programmed at the core of their creation to feel nothing but their drive to carry out the will of the Diamonds. So if you think you can convince her to release Pearl or stop her from doing whatever it is she's here to do, it's a waste of time."

"So how do we stop her?" Garnet asked.

"You don't."

"Is there ANY WAY?"

"There's not."

"There HAS to be!" Amethyst insisted, pacing now with Jasper. "Everything has a weakness, right? We just have to figure out what Onyx's is."

Peridot didn't seem so sure. "An Onyx was made specifically to fear nothing and no one. She is trained by White Diamond herself. She isn't like the rest of us."

The gems were silent, considering Peridot's words.

Spinel frowned curiously. "Onyx..." she mused, "Wait, have I heard that name before?"

Amethyst grimaced and patted her arm. She didn't want the memory of Spinel's encounter with an Onyx to come back fresh in her mind. Not after what she'd seen.

"Where would Onyx go?" Garnet finally asked.

Peridot thought about it. "Possibly one of the Kindergartens. She would be attempting to find information of war records, recent activities."

"Then we go now!" Jasper said.

"We need a plan first." Connie reminded her. "We need to figure out how to stop Onyx and her two lumbering goons."

"We can think of a plan on the way!" Jasper was already at the warp pad. "Let's GO!"

Garnet nodded. "Alright, Stevn, Connie, Amethyst, you're with Jasper and me. Spinel can come with us. She can cover more ground faster."

Spinel smiled. "Okay!"

O

Onyx placed Pearl's gemstone into a glass tube - tall and wide enough for a large gem to stand. She stepped aside, raised her hand to a button and pressed it. A charge of energy surged through Pearl's gemstone and immediately, her form began to appear.

Onyx watched calmly as Pearl struggled to come to terms with where she was. She slammed against the tube walls frantically, disoriented.

"Calm yourself, Renegade Pearl," Onyx said.

Pearl looked at her frantically. "Where am I? What did you..."

She looked around the room. It looked like a laboratory of some kind. But this was far more advanced than anything she had ever seen. Lapis had been right. Homeworld must have changed a lot since she had been made. She spotted the two Obsidians standing by the door.

"You are here because you were the accessory of Rose Quartz." Onyx told her.

"I am NO ONE'S accessory!" Pearl spat, slapping her hands on the glass.

"Such a curious one at that," Onyx continued, tilting her head. "An item who thinks for herself. There are no pearls that exist like you. I understand it must have been a defect in your make. Not all defective gems show such signs on the outside."

Pearl swallowed an insult. To verbally go for her self-esteem and self-worth was a blow she often had difficulty getting back up from.

"Physical damage during our interrogation would merely render your form away too easily," Onyx said, turning to a table. "I can see that emotional stimuli is your weakness. As it is with all gem lifeforms."

"But not you."

"Affirmative. White Diamond has ensured that my training allows me to be liberated from such weakness." Onyx turned to face her now.

Pearl withered only a little under that empty, pitiless stare.

"I see that a pearl such as yourself has fused with a jasper. Such a thing is unheard of, but I have witnessed it for my own." Onyx continued. "Gem lovers connecting through fusion. Loving one another. Do you believe Jasper loves you?"

Pearl opened her mouth to answer, but her response fell short. Onyx seemed to patiently wait for a response. Then, she nodded.

"I see. You don't now." Onyx said. "How unfortunate. Do you believe she loves you, or the idea that you have fused together? I have seen many gems become starved for that sensation; to feel powerful as a single fused entity. Jasper exhibits similar symptoms."

Pearl didn't want to believe it. She refused to.

She HAD to refuse to.

"Love... Such a dreadful thing," Onyx wandered to the table again, picking up a tablet that produced a holographic screen. Pearl couldn't see what she was looking at from here. "It has brought countless gems to their knees. Drove them to do unspeakable things."

"You're wrong..." Pearl couldn't recognize her own voice. How shaken it was.

Onyx turned to look at her. "It matters not if you feel I am correct or otherwise. The results are always going to remain the same. Love destroys. And to be liberated from a diseased emotion is to truly understand what freedom is."

 _White Diamond led the walk._

 _Onyx followed behind her._

 _The walk felt long._

 _Onyx passed several gems in White Diamond's court; their faces were constant and blank, devoid of emotional response._

 _A gem was sitting in the arena, kneeling with a tear-streaked face. She was clothed in the vestments of a royal, aristocratic gem._

 _"Onyx..." she moaned._

 _Onyx approached her, drew her blades from her gem. She looked toward White Diamond, who gently inclined her head once. Onyx looked down at the gem, who smiled tearfully._

 _She mouthed something moments before Onyx had brought her blades down._

 _I love you._

 _The gem's shattered remains laid on the floor of the arena. Onyx calmly followed White Diamond into another room. White Diamond promptly shut the door behind her._

 _I know you don't have a choice. It's okay._

 _Onyx laid herself onto a table and shut her eyes._

 _"Now. Weakness has left you." White Diamond's voice was a silver string wrapped around Onyx's mind. "And now, we will ensure it never returns again."_

 _"Thank you, My Diamond."_

The Prime Kindergarten was an unwelcoming sight for the gems and two children. The looming cliffs, filled with exit marks of other gems.

"So you think they might be here?" Amethyst asked.

Peridot nodded. "The Prime Kindergarten would undoubtedly be a location Onyx would take to conceal herself."

"What if she left?" Jasper growled out, "What if she took Pearl back to Homeworld?"

Peridot frowned. "Seems highly unlikely. The most logical course of action would be to interrogate the Pearl for the location of Rose Quartz - Who she will not find - before disposing of he - Oh."

Steven elbowed Peridot and the gem noticed Jasper's look change. It had become panicked, angry and desperate all at once.

"I'm sure we'll find her before then!" Peridot tried.

They were silent as they continued on. Spinel raced through the Kindergarten, yelling for Pearl's name. Every so often, she would return to the group, disappointed.

Steven had a thought that had been pestering him for a long time. He looked at Peridot curiously.

"So...you said I can't get through to Onyx. What did you mean?" he asked.

Peridot sighed. "Steven, I wasn't kidding when I told you that. See, an Onyx isn't an ordinary gem." she explained. "Sure, they're tough soldiers like Jasper, but White Diamond...she does things to them."

The others looked unsettled by this revelation.

"Things?" Steven asked. "What kinds of things?"

"Things we don't speak of. Things that deprive a gem of what they are. White Diamond takes that all away. To ensure that they never feel anything again."

Steven and Connie looked at each other. The idea that a gem could have anything removed from their core personality was horrific. And the idea that White Diamond could simply do that as she pleased was even more so.

Peridot caught their looks and simply spoke quieter now. "Don't think about it." she said, "It's best not to."

Meanwhile, as they searched for Onyx, the ship had been positioned just over their heads on the peak of the canyon. Inside, Onyx had been speaking calmly with Pearl the entire time. Just addressing the truths of the war and her place in it.

"I told you, Rose is not here!" Pearl shouted.

Onyx continued without consequence. Her features never changed. "Then am I to assume the ruby's report is mistaken?"

"What ruby?" Pearl asked, frowning. "The one we sent to space?"

"Indeed."

"I don't know what she THINKS she saw, but it wasn't Rose!"

Onyx seemed to consider her words.

"You can talk to me as much as you'd like, but nothing's going to change about that!" Pearl told her. "Rose is gone! And after the thing's you've done..."

Onyx stared at her, tilting her head. "What do you think I've done?"

"The damage by the Diamonds." Pearl said, a little put off by her calmness to the accusation. "Homeworld is responsible for so much damage. We've seen it. We know what sort of things you've done."

Onyx continued to stare at her, silent. Then, she inclined her head. The words held no weight to her as she wasn't aware of what Pearl spoke of. Pearl caught the stare and assumed without difficulty that such an action would never have been known by second-Era gems.

"Do you think you belong here?" Onyx finally asked, after a moment of contemplation.

Pearl frowned. "Yes!"

"No. I'm afraid you don't," Onyx continued, shaking her head. "The rebellion? The actions you've taken against the Authority? It will not change. They will take care of everything, as they always do. The universe will remain the same."

Pearl, for once, had no answer.

"You have claimed that you joined with Rose's rebellion in an effort to protect this colony. Did you know what the rebellion was? Or did you purely follow simply at the order of your master?"

Pearl's eyes narrowed. She turned away so that Onyx could only see her back. The gem did not seem offended by the gesture.

"Your infantile gesture suggests that my words hold some merit," she continued. "You were granted a boon from your master. She educated you and gave you the ideas of freedom and liberty. Yet you will always need an anchor. You will never be your own gem and I believe that deep down, you know this. So you will protect your leader. Even if it means you are shattered."

Pearl's eyes widened at the thought.

"You're afraid." Onyx said, as if the idea fascinated her.

Pearl turned, glaring at her with tears threatening to burst forth. "I'm not afraid of you!"

"No. There is no gem you fear. I could interrogate you for eternity and you would never yield the secrets I seek." Onyx continued. "But you do fear one thing; it's death. The inevitability that you will be shattered. The idea that upon your demise, all the universe may see is a pearl. A pearl who forgot her place and purpose."

"Stop..." Pearl's voice broke and she held her head in two hands.

But this was Onyx's plan. To warrant a reaction through emotional damage than physical. And it seemed to be working to a degree. She continued speaking without pause.

"A broken toy. That is how Homeworld sees gems of your nature. You have no worth without a gem to serve. Is that why you've formed attachments to Jasper? Do you feel she will give you worth?"

"Shut up!" Pearl moaned, looking away.

"Jasper could not love a pearl. It is the fusion she loves. That is all she cares for."

 _Not true. Not true._

Pearl didn't want to believe Onyx. She didn't want to hear this emotionless, Homeworld gem's lies. But there it was. She had placed the seeds of doubt in her mind.

"I offer you freedom from this world," Onyx said. "All you need to do is tell me where Rose Quartz is, and I will set you free."

Pearl didn't know what that meant. "Set me free?"

"Shatter you. So you need not fight anymore."

Pearl's eyes widened in horror.

The sound of an explosion drew the Homeworld gems toward the door. Onyx stood up, facing her Obsidians with a small nod.

"It would seem that the rebels have located us. How interesting that they would go to such lengths for a pearl." she said. "Come. Let's meet them."

Below, Jasper was standing beside the remnants of an Injector she had knocked over. Peridot scowled up at her.

"Good job, Jasper!" she snapped. "Onyx is SURE to know we're here by now!"

"Well, none of you seem serious in finding her!" Jasper shouted.

"I was." Spinel piped up, with a small raise of her hand.

"Jasper, please, shhh!" Connie insisted, raising a finger to her lips. "If she hears us, we don't know what might happen to Pearl!"

"Fascinating!"

They looked up, spotting Onyx and the Obsidians above. Onyx jumped off the edge first and the Obsidians followed her. The Crystal Gems backed away as they plummeted and landed to the ground with a loud, mighty crash. Once the dust settled, Onyx had already drawn her blades.

"You fight rather bravely for nothing more than a forgotten, shelved piece of empty hardware." she said.

"Her name is Pearl!" Steven's shield appeared on his arm. "And we're here to save her from you!"

"Save her?" Onyx's features changed for the first time since they had spoken with her. Her brow knotted, almost if the idea was confusing. "To what do you save her from? Liberation? I offered that to her, yet she seems adamant that living here on this dead colony is her freedom."

"This is Earth!" Connie told her. "Not a dead colony! This is our home and we promise to defend it from you Homeworld gems!"

Onyx shook her head slowly. "Indignant fools..."

She held out her swords in a fighting stance. "Come. I will be your deliverance."

The gems charged forward; Connie and Steven fused into Stevonnie and noticed Jasper begin to join the battle, but they stopped her, raising their sword to block her way. Jasper scowled furiously at the fusion.

"Jasper, you and Spinel find Pearl," they told her. "We'll distract these guys for you."

Jasper wanted to fight. She wanted to gain back her wounded pride and nurse her very wrath on Onyx's shattered gem shards. But before that, she had to find Pearl and make certain she was safe. Then the two of them could fuse and smash Onyx into the ground.

"Fine!" she spat. "But beat her twice for me while I'm gone!"

Stevonnie nodded, determined. "No problem!" they said.

Jasper took off while the Obsidians and Onyx charged foward.

O

Jasper and Spinel had found the ship; it was larger than a Ruby Eye and she was unfortunate enough to find herself running down several hallways, kicking down various doors in hopes of finding Pearl.

"Pearl!" she shouted. "Pearl, where are you?"

Spinel cupped her mouth. "PEARL!"

Pearl looked up sharply at the sound of Jasper and Spinel's voices. Her eyes widened and she looked around, slapping at the tube with two hands.

"Jasper?" she said. "Spinel? Are you out there?" She beat harder on the tube. "HEY!"

Jasper and Spinel had been walking down the hallway when Jasper immediately stopped and whirled at the sound of Pearl's voice. It resulted in her bumping into the messenger beside her. She looked around frantically, hoping she hadn't been hearing things.

"Pearl?" she called. "Where are you?"

"Jasper, Spinel, I'm in here!" Pearl yelled again. She continued to beat on the tube so that Jasper would be able to follow the sound. "In here!"

Jasper and Spinel quickly rushed toward the sound and it led her to the laboratory. Spinel noticed Pearl in the tube and walked up to her.

"Pearl!" she cried. She looked around and slapped the sides of the tube. "How do I get you out?"

"There's a buttom on the control panel over there," Pearl said, pointing to where Onyx had been standing. "You can push that and - "

Jasper simply walked over and drove her fist through the controls. Sparks went flying through the air aorund the damaged wires and metal. Pearl was startled by the abrupt gesture before she grimaced and tilted her head.

"Well, you could do THAT." she quipped.

The tube rose up into the ceiling, freeing Pearl. She immediately retrieved her spear from her gem. She didn't bother with formalities. Simply the urge to find Onyx and defeat her was the only thing she wanted right here and now.

"We need to go!" she said, anxiously.

Jasper nodded and the three gems quickly rushed from the laboratory.

Outside, Stevonnie fought with Onyx while the other gems were busy with the Obsidians. Onyx's blades clashed with Stevonnie's. She was impressed by their finesse.

"You are strong, child," she said, "But I'm afraid you cannot destroy me."

Stevonnie grunted, struggling to hold back Onyx's blades.

"You do not belong." Onyx continued, her eyes narrowing, "A mix of gem and human holds no place in this universe. What I will do will be a mercy compared to what the Diamond Authority has in store.

Suddenly, Amethyst's whip encircled Onyx,wrapping around her entire form. The gem staggered back a bit and looked over her shoulder. Amethyst smirked, struggling to hold back Onyx.

"You talk too much!" she yelled, tugging.

Onyx was sent flying through the air as Amethyst tossed her into the wall. Stevonnie winced at the loud sound. They expected to see Onyx being poofed by the force of such an attack, but instead, the gem calmly stood up from the rubble, slicing through Amethyst's whip with her swords.

Amethyst withered a little. "Uh-oh."

"You've been taught well, but you are purely the soldier of a contemptible warrior," Onyx said, approaching her menacingly, "Your vanity, your pride. That is your weakness."

"I'll kick your butt back to Homeworld!" Amethyst shouted, transforming into her spinning orb form, flying directly toward Onyx.

The gem promptly caught her with both hands, her swords vanishing almost immediately. Amethyst gave a yelp as she was transformed back and Onyx seized her gem roughly with one hand. She winced in agony and looked up into those emotionless, cold eyes.

"You are NOTHING to me. A talking defect. A wretched emotional fool." she said, "And now, I will end your existence."

"You think we're weak for feeling?" Stevonnie suddenly shouted. They licked the palm of their hand and jumped, slapping the healing saliva onto Onyx's gem. "Then walk a mile in our shoes and see for yourself what we are!"

Onyx dropped Amethyst and suddenly, the sound she uttered could have awoken the dead.

Onyx screamed.

The Obsidians had halted their attack at the sound of her scream and turned, looking toward Onyx; she had staggered back, clutching at her gem with wide, unseeing eyes. Her features contorted, her screams filled with anguish and rage.

Emotions.

The sound reached Jasper and Pearl and they quickly made their way down into the canyon, falling directly on top of the Obsidians. Their attacks poofed them immediately, allowing for Garnet to quickly bubble them.

Garnet looked at Pearl and the gem nodded. "I'm fine."

Everyone looked toward Onyx, watching as she stumbled backwards, fingers digging at her gem in an effort to rid herself of an unseen force. She looked possessed, screaming and howling as if she was being tortured by something.

"No... Don't let me..." she gagged. "No, no..."

Peridot's eyes were wide with shock. She could say nothing at this point.

Stevonnie watched the scene, their features smoothing out. They looked confused, sympathetic almost. Onyx's reaction was not something they expected.

To have no emotions and suddenly, healing what was lost.

"You've...made me..." Onyx stared at Stevonnie with shock, her jaw slack. "You've...made...me..."

Onyx collapsed to the ground, staring skyward. She slowly reached into her uniform, pulling out a diamond-shaped stone. The others tensed, preparing for a new threat. Jasper recognized it for what it was and quickly hurried, kicking the object from Onyx's hands.

"No," she snarled, "You're not getting off that easily."

Onyx looked up, mere seconds as Jasper's fist came down upon her.


	24. Chapter Twenty-Four: The Bitter Season

~O~

 **Chapter Twenty-Four: The Bitter Season**

Onyx was kneeling, seemingly in shock. The gems were standing in front of her in the Kindergarten, unsure of what else they could do with her.

"She isn't moving," Steven said, warily. "Is she okay?"

"She's creeping me out. Can't we put a tarp over her head?" Amethyst muttered.

Jasper scoffed, folding her arms across her chest. "She's not a warrior. She would have taken the coward's way out." she told them. "That's what this was for." She held up the device Onyx was seconds away from using. "It detonates, shattering them if they fail or end up being captured."

Onyx's eyes were wide, her jaw slack. Spinel waved a hand in her face and snapped her fingers a few times before she raised an eyebrow.

"Nope. That gem's left the building." she said.

"What do we do with her?" Pearl asked, looking at Garnet. "We can't just leave her like this."

A sigh from Garnet. "We should put her in a bubble, but if she's one of White Diamond's elite warriors, we could learn something from her."

"She's brain-dead," Amethyst muttered, "Whatever Steven did - "

"I HEALED her," Steven interrupted, scowling. "I fixed what White Diamond took away. If we work on her, maybe she could help us!"

Peridot scoffed. "Yeah right. You can't get anything out of her." she told him. "White Diamond's elite gems? They're never going to give up their secrets!"

"Well, we tried with Diopside and didn't get far. We have to try with her."

While they were talking, Onyx watched them through a fog of red. Her head was filled with a sharp ringing sound and she could barely make out what they were saying. Steven pointed at her, said something and the others seemed doubtful.

"...If we're doing this, we keep her somewhere she can't escape," Pearl told them. "Somewhere she can be calm." She made a face. "And far away from us."

"The Falls of Enlightenment." Garnet suggested. "It worked with Jasper. It could work for Onyx."

"We should just shatter her after what she did," Jasper hissed, fists clenching, "Keeping Pearl prisoner, forcing us to unfuse. And what gems like her did to Spinel - "

Spinel looked up sharply in surprise. "Huh?"

Amethyst glared at Jasper as she spoke. "Spinel, Jasper doesn't know what she's talking about. She's angry, like the rest of us. But she doesn't know what she's talking about."

Spinel frowned, confused. "Uh, okay."

"Anyway," Garnet continued, "Let's take her there. We can get what we can out of her when we get her focused."

O

Onyx was surprisingly cooperative when they arrived.

She said and did nothing, but walked slowly into the Falls with the gems close around her. Steven looked up at Onyx warily before gesturing to the ground.

"Um, maybe you can sit here?" he offered.

Onyx didn't say anything, but slowly sank down onto her backside before crossing her legs. She still looked dazed, but her gaze wandered around, observing her surroundings.

"Steven, this isn't safe," Peridot warned him, "She's an Onyx! A killing machine! They can't be reasoned with! We should just put her in the bubble and be done with it."

Pearl sighed. "I have to agree with Peridot on this, Steven. It's not safe."

"But you said we needed to know everything we can about White Diamond, remember?" Steven pointed out to them, "Diopside couldn't help, but Onyx might be able to! She's one of White Diamond's closest gems! She has to know something!"

"She will be fine in here," Garnet agreed with Steven to an extent. "But she's a highly-skilled, powerful assassin. She won't be so easy to change, Steven."

"We have to try," Steven argued, "If White Diamond's planning something, we have to try."

A few hesitated looks from the others, but no more argument.

Steven turned his attention to Onyx. Through her vision, the red haze and ringing continued.

Later that day, Onyx was still in the same kneeling position she was; she hadn't moved since she arrived and Steven - accompanied by Pearl and Jasper - had visited to try and speak with her.

"So...how are you feeling, Onyx?" he asked.

She looked up at him; her gaze was still unwavering, but otherwise, she didn't seem as shaken as she had been earlier. Her eyes wandered around the Falls of Enlightenment.

"Strange." she finally said. "Very...strange. It's been some time since I've felt things. You never truly appreciate the feel of air, the smells of water, the sounds of life until it's been deprived of you for twelve centuries."

Steven was surprised. "Twelve centuries?"

"Yes." Onyx answered.

Steven took a closer step toward her and sat down. Jasper and Pearl stood on guard, ready to fight her at a moment's notice.

"You fought for me," Onyx said, "You prevented them from storing me away." She frowned, shaking her head. "Why?"

"Well..." Steven hesitated. "We needed your help to understand more about White Diamond. And I didn't want you to shatter yourself."

"Why?" Onyx asked again.

"Because it's the right thing to do."

Onyx sighed quietly. She stared down at her hands. "The right thing..." she said, "Such an unusual concept for a gem such as myself." She looked up at Steven again. "I was sent to retrieve you, but now... all I feel is conflict."

Steven didn't answer. He wasn't sure how to.

Onyx shook her head with a resigned sound. "I have failed. I will be shattered if I return."

"You don't have to." Steven offered, "You can stay here with us. You can tell us what we need to know about White Diamond."

"That wouldn't be appropriate, given the circumstances," Onyx replied. She looked toward Jasper and Pearl, who tensed when they met stares. "Your comrades do not approve of my presence, as they are well within their right to feel."

"It'll take time, but we can work at it." Steven glanced briefly up at Pearl and Jasper before turning his attention to Onyx again. "So...can you tell us about White Diamond?"

Onyx was silent, contemplating this. Then, she held out one hand. "White Diamond... My Diamond is unlike the two you've seen before her." she began to explain. "Her age, her power goes beyond comprehension. She has existed before Homeworld's time began and she will exist beyond that."

"She has created us with the intent to feel what she feels, which is nothing. She believes that by 'correcting' a gem's 'mistakes', she is sparing them from the agony she once endured. That agony was the loss of Pink Diamond. To her, this act is logical, but in logic lies madness."

"Can she change?" Steven asked.

Onyx smiled thinly, but it came and went like lightning. "That is much like asking if the sun can become the moon. Some gems are set in their ways. Diamonds are worse in that fact. You cannot change them."

"What would White Diamond want with Steven?" Pearl asked a question now. "He isn't Rose and shattering him won't bring Pink Diamond back."

"Who said she intends to shatter anyone?" Onyx queried. "What White Diamond wants to do to Rose? This half-breed she believes to be her enemy?" She shut her eyes, and a look of anguish touched her face. "I cannot even speak of the horrors she wishes to unleash onto the child."

Steven shuddered. He could imagine. His mind went to the gems housed in their cells on Homeworld.

"So...what are you going to do?" Steven asked, carefully.

Onyx stared at him. Then, she sighed and shook her head. "I cannot return to Homeworld." she replied.

That was all she said.

O

Onyx was sitting by the falls, legs crossed as she meditated.

Her fingers twitched.

Her brow knotted.

"Onyx?"

The gem opened her eyes, turning so that she noticed Steven standing there with Jasper and Pearl; she was holding the facility data plates. Onyx tilted her head when she noticed them.

"Those come from White Diamond's facility." she said. "I trust you have questions regarding their details?"

"Yeah." Steven said, activating one. "Our friend, Spinel was here and she had a message from Pink Diamond to White Diamond. But she was stopped by another Onyx."

Onyx watched the hologram play out, her features unreadable. When it finished and shut off, she looked at them. "I cannot say," she replied. "That Onyx was stationed there by White Diamond's orders. The messenger was simply there at the wrong time."

Steven sighed and set the data plate aside. "What do we do now?"

Onyx looked toward Pearl and Jasper, then back to Steven. "What happened to my two Obsidians?"

"Garnet bubbled them." Steven explained.

"Mm, just as well, really," Onyx replied, nodding with a small sound of approval, "They would be nothing without my command. White Diamond granted them no free will of their own. You did them a favor."

Steven thought about something before he nodded. "Okay. I'm gonna talk to these two for a minute." he told her, gesturing to Jasper and Pearl.

Onyx nodded once, but said nothing more.

The three stepped outside and Steven looked over his shoulder once before looking up at them. "I don't know, I think we can trust her."

Pearl and Jasper stared at him in disbelief.

"What?" Jasper snapped.

"She can't go back to Homeworld," Steven explained, trying to calm a growing argument, "White Diamond would probably shatter her. Now that I fixed her - "

"Steven," Pearl interrupted, sharply, "This isn't up for discussion. Onyx isn't like us. She's trained from the day she emerges to the day she's shattered to destroy lives without mercy. After what she did to me and Jasper - "

"Yeah, I know, but - "

Onyx could hear them arguing from inside the falls.

Such a pity.

It took a few moments before Steven entered the falls once more. Onyx stared at him with a small smile. "You cannot change their minds about me, though you are kind to try."

Steven didn't know what else to say. He sighed.

Onyx looked beyond him and she could see Jasper and Pearl talking. Pearl seemed upset, but rested a hand on Jasper's shoulder, smiled up at her and leaned against the larger gem. Onyx's lips tugged somewhat, and Steven caught the look. He glanced back at the two gems, then to her.

"Do you have someone waiting for you on Homeworld?" he asked, hoping to make conversation.

Onyx reacted with a mild widening of her eyes. Then, she shook her head sadly. "No, I'm afraid not. Not anymore."

"What happened?" Steven looked troubled.

Onyx sat there in silence for the longest time, her features unreadable. After a few moments, she spoke and her voice maintained an air of calm.

"Onyx's are taught from the moment they emerge that they are to be creatures of death and perfection," she began to tell her story, "We are often isolated from other gems to avoid association and distraction. The only time we see others are the gems who function in the Kindergartens where we are made. And I laid my eyes on one.

"She was lovely. I'd known very little in the ways of beauty and love, but here she stood, smiling at me. Despite what she knew I was to be, she still found me worthy of her attentions. Worthy. Me. To think that I, an Onyx of White Diamond's elite gems would find themselves unworthy of anything."

Steven listened with rapt attention.

"I didn't think we'd ever speak to one another, but one day, she approached me without fear or disgust. I too wanted to know more about her, which went beyond my training. We spent much time together in the few moments that I had to spare."

Steven's eyes widened. "What happened next?"

"Well..." Onyx shut her eyes tightly, as if restraining some deep, hidden part of herself before she continued, "White Diamond's Pearl had been watching us from afar before she delivered the news to her. I was brought before White Diamond and judged for my 'crimes'."

"Crimes?" Steven looked confused.

"An Onyx isn't permitted to feel emotions for another being," Onyx explained, "It goes beyond what we are meant to do. To White Diamond, it was a punishable act. But because I was valuable to her, she...decided another suitable punishment that fit her idea of a crime."

Steven remembered the gems he'd seen in White Diamond's tower. He shuddered at the thought.

"I know what you're thinking," Onyx told him, reading the expression on his face. "But she wasn't 'fixed'. White Diamond had me shatter her with my own blades."

"What?" Steven looked horrified.

"Yes. But in her last words, she knew I had no choice. She was at peace with it." Onyx explained, "And when I had finished, White Diamond looked at me and said 'The only reason she's shattered and you are not...is because you are more valuable to me'. And with that...I was...corrected."

Outside the falls, Jasper and Pearl had been listening to Onyx's story the entire time.

Once it was time to leave, Onyx was alone in the falls. She wandered around the area for a bit, rubbing her fingertips across every surface she could. Finally, she leaned against the wall, slowly slumping to the floor, holding herself and crying.

O

The following morning, Steven had decided to plan on visiting Onyx again.

Spinel and Amethyst were in the kitchen, eating breakfast that consisted of pancakes and various other sugary sweets that Pearl had added to their plates. Spinel was dumping gummy bears onto hers and Amethyst grinned at her, delightened.

"Yeah!" she said, "Hand some of those bears my way!"

Spinel smiled and offered her the bag.

"Hey, maybe I can give some of those to Onyx," Steven suggested, climbing up onto one of the stools. "Is there any left?"

"I can't believe you're still trying with her," Amethyst said, frowning.

Spinel looked at her with surprise. "Why not?" she asked.

Pearl looked at her in disbelief. "Why not? Spinel, she was sent to shatter us! She's an assassin! Who's to say that she won't still try it?"

Spinel was confused. She glanced at Pearl, then to Amethyst, and then to Steven again. "But you helped Jasper. And me! Shouldn't we help Onyx too?"

They looked at one another, unsure of how to answer. Amethyst put a hand on Spinel's and patted it once, trying to bring herself to smile; she couldn't shake the image of what had happened to Spinel at the facility.

"You and Jasper were different cases, Spinel." Pearl reminded her.

Spinel didn't seem to really understand it, but she looked at Steven and smiled, handing him the bag of gummy bears. "Maybe share mine with Onyx!"

Steven smiled. "Okay. Thanks, Spinel."

Pearl made a face. "Well, I suppose if we have to... Connie and Peridot are busy going through Onyx's ship, so we're going to go about this as carefully as we can."

Pearl followed Steven out of the house, determined not to leave him alone for a moment with Onyx. Amethyst looked at Spinel now, sighing.

"Spinel, I just can't trust Onyx after what she did," she told her.

Spinel looked at her, troubled. "Why not? We should be helping other gems who end up hurt by the Diamonds, right?"

Amethyst sighed again, slapping her hands on her thighs. "Alright..."

She stood up, walked to her room and the door closed behind her. Spinel sat there, concerned by the abrupt departure. When Amethyst returned, she was holding the data plate in her hand. She carried it up to Spinel and set it in front of her. The other gem frowned down at it.

"What's this?" she asked.

"We found this at White Diamond's place," Amethyst explained, sadly, "I shoud have showed it to you, but I didn't want you to get upset."

Spinel glanced at the plate before touching it. She watched the hologram play out the security feed and Amethyst comforted her with a grip of her hand. Spinel's features slowly went from confusion to despair as she watched the sight of her being cut down by the Onyx's blades and dispelled.

A single tear slid down her cheek and she shut her eyes, taking a small, deep breath. Amethyst put an arm around her and Spinel shut off the hologram.

"So that's why I was in that container..." Spinel quietly said.

"Yeah." Amethyst replied. "I'm sorry. I should have showed this to you, but you were so upset."

Spinel laughed quietly. "Well, you can't be mad at Onyx for what this one did to me." she pointed out. "That's silly. SHE didn't put me in the container. That one did."

"So you're not worried about her?"

"No. I think she needs help, too. We should help her. Like you helped me." Spinel brightened and returned the embrace. "Everyone should get that chance. Even a messenger like me."

Amethyst laughed a little. "Yeah, maybe you're right." she agreed. "You ARE smart, Spinel."

The other gem looked surprised for a moment; then, she blushed and giggled. "Nah, I'm not."

"Yeah, you ARE, dude!"

O

Onyx was standing outside of the falls when Steven and Pearl arrived.

She glanced up, said nothing when Pearl regarded her. The look she was given was full of suspicion, but Onyx couldn't blame her.

"Hey, are you okay, Onyx?" Steven asked.

Onyx nodded once. "Yes. I've had a long moment to contemplate. Blue Diamond's Enlightenment Falls have proven useful in that endeavor." She paused, regarded Pearl now. "I have deduced that my questions were unworthy. I will apologize to you for what I said."

Pearl furrowed her brow. She was surprised by the apology.

Steven smiled up at her. "See? She's okay, Pearl." he whispered to her.

Onyx stood there, still as silent as she had been. Steven walked up to her and offered the bag of gummy bears. "Hey, uh...do you want to try one?"

Onyx glanced down at the offering. "I do not eat."

"I know," Steven said, with a small laugh. "But some gems can. And it's really good! Try one."

Onyx glanced at his face, then to the bag. She reached one long-fingered hand into the bag and retrieved a gummy bear. Blinking a few times, she stared at the squishy treat for a moment before carrying it to her mouth. She chewed a few times and tilted her head.

"Hm. It's...interesting, I suppose." she replied.

Steven smiled up at her. Onyx's mouth twitched for a moment before she smiled a little in response.

"Oh! Here, have another!" Steven offered.

Onyx reached into the bag again and sampled another gummy bear. She chewed, swallowed and looked toward Pearl again.

"You think I intend to harm you again," she said, matter-of-factly. "You think I'm like the other one who harmed the messenger gem."

Pearl didn't answer. Her mild change in expression - pursed lips and hardening eyes - told Onyx what she needed to know.

Onyx looked down at Steven. "I know for certain that you're not Rose Quartz."

"Really?" Steven said, surprised.

"Yes." A nod from the tall gem. "She isn't as kind as you."

Steven thought about her words, unsure of how to answer them. He had heard so many conflicting stories about his mother from both sides - Homeworld and Crystal Gem. He only wished he'd known more about them instead of vague answers.

[Gem War]

[5000 Years ago]

 _Onyx stood among the smoke and charred ruins of battle._

 _Her blank, emotionless face scanned the horizon. At her side, her two Obsidians stood, hammers clutched tightly and heads lowered, awaiting her next command._

 _"Our mission is to purge the remaining rebels stationed here," Onyx told them. "Search and destroy. Should you encounter Rose Quartz, I will tend to her personally."_

 _Nothing but nods from both Obsidians. They made their way through the debris of the battlefield and Onyx walked in the opposite direction; they would be there when she would call them. Instead, she decided to search for signs of Rose Quartz's presence._

 _"What chaos have you sown, Rose Quartz?" Onyx wondered, aloud._

 _She looked around before spotting something moving among the sludge. Onyx approached and noticed that it was a Biggs Jasper. She tilted her head at the moaning the gem made, the shaking and the occasional flickering of her form. The gem's stone had been cracked where her cheek was; she would soon fall apart._

 _"Ah...Stars, I'm falling apart..." the Biggs Jasper groaned, looking up at her._

 _"You are damaged beyond repair," Onyx said, assessing her condition with a single sweep of her gaze, "Rose Quartz did this to you."_

 _The Biggs Jasper laughed weakly. Another flicker. "Yeah. I thought I could take her on my own."_

 _"A foolish endeavor, to be precise." Onyx replied._

 _"I know... I know..." the Biggs Jasper grunted. "Listen, I know you don't have reason to do it, but... I want you to give me a warrior's death. I won't lay here and beg for mercy."_

 _Onyx stood there silently, watching her for a few moments more. "Very well."_

 _She drew her two swords from her gem and poised them over the Bigg's Jasper. The gem smiled, relief lighting her exhausted features._

 _"I don't want to be 'fixed'..." she groaned, "You know what she does to failed gems."_

 _Onyx stared down at her, features still blank and unreadable._

 _Finally, she brought the blades down. The gem's form was dispelled, the remains of her gemstone clattering across Onyx's feet. She regarded the gem shards for a moment more before slowly shaking her head._

 _"Poor, indignant fool..." she sighed. "Such suffering you've brought upon them. And now it's up to us to clean up after your mess."_

O

It was strange for her.

Onyx had known shattering and death her entire life, but she was curious by how things seemed so...chaotic among the Crystal Gems. She couldn't fathom how they existed in such a way.

She was standing on the beach, watching the gems building sand castles. Jasper approached her and folded her arms across her chest.

"I presume you have new insults for me today?" Onyx questioned, glancing sidelong to her.

Jasper snorted gruffly. "No."

"Hm." Onyx murmured thoughtfully, but said nothing more.

They were silent, simply standing together as they watched the others. Jasper glanced over at Onyx, studying her impassive features filled with a certain odd longing that she hadn't seen before Stevonnie had healed her. She didn't like having an assassin here with them. They weren't like Quartz gems; they fought with cunning and deception, not a warrior's honor.

And yet, there were questions she still had.

"How do you know what Steven is?" Jasper asked. "If he isn't Rose, then who else can he be?"

Onyx responded without hesitation. "He is Steven - a half-breed creature. I have seen alien crossbreed in my travels across the stars. The child is one of them, though quite possibly the first human and gem hybrid I have seen. And you know as well as I do that he was never Rose Quartz."

Jasper nodded once. Perhaps she knew in time, but she still had to ask how Onyx had been aware of the fact right away. Then again, her gem type was rarely seen among normal gems; they probably knew and understood things that most did not.

It was infuriating to think about.

"He isn't her." Onyx continued. "He has a kindness that Rose Quartz lacked. He gives to others without regard to his own life. He is better than Rose. Such a pity that White Diamond cannot see the truth in that."

Jasper furrowed her brow. "She won't, will she?"

"No."

The response was simple, but carried all the weight of the horrible reality that waited for them.

O

 _Note_ \- A voice that I thought would be good for Onyx was Colleen Wheeler, who voiced Rem from Death Note.


	25. Chapter Twenty-Five: Pale Moon

~O~

 **Chapter Twenty-Five: Pale Moon**

Steven and Connie were standing on the front porch that morning beside Lion. Connie had her hair tied up in a ponytail, and a backpack slung over her shoulder; she wore her father's jacket and had Rose's sword tied to her bag.

She looked over her shoulder. "Steven, come on!" she yelled.

Steven quickly hurried out of the house, holding a package in his arm. "Sorry. I just had to make sure I had everything." he told her. He stared down at a plush bear in his hand. "I bet Lars will really appreciate this package his parents put together for him. And MC Bear Bear! To hug if he gets scared."

Steven placed the package in Connie's backpack.

Connie brightened. "I'm so excited we're finally going to have a space adventure together!" she said. She raised her hand dramatically. "Steven and Connie in space!"

Connie turned her attention toward Onyx, who was still standing on the beach, watching them. Her smile disappeared a little and she looked worried.

"What about her?" she asked, leaning to Steven and whispering softly, "Should we really leave with her here?"

Steven thought about it for a moment. Then, he walked down the steps and up to Onyx. The tall gem looked down at him and she noticed the backpack Connie was wearing.

"You're leaving." she said.

"Yeah, we're visiting our friend." Steven explained. "He's on Homeworld with a bunch of other gems and we need to see if he's okay."

"I understand." Onyx replied. "But how do you intend to - "

She blinked when Steven and Connie walked up to Lion; Steven stepped into the animal's mane and smiled brightly when Lion yawned once.

"I see." Onyx murmured. "That creature is a form of transportation."

Steven nodded, lifting his foot out of Lion's mane. He approached her again and looked up hesitantly. "We'll be gone for a little bit," he said. "Are you..."

A chuckle from Onyx. "You need not concern yourself for me. I will remain in the Falls of Enlightenment until you return."

"Ah, okay." Steven seemed content with that response.

Onyx watched as Connie and Steven dipped themselves into Lion's mane before disappearing.

O

Lars was sitting in a chair onboard a ship wearing a uniform. Steven and Connie, still holding hands, eventually tumbled out of his hair and landed on the floor with a collection of yells.

Lars blinked in surprise, staring down at them. "Steven?" he exclaimed.

Steven sat up and looked around the enormous deck of the ship. "Lars? What's - "

Then, someone else spoke from a large screen of the ship. A video feed of another gem was shown; a gem with a green, square, faceted gem where her right eye would be, large, spiky hair, and what appeared to be a gold diadem located on her forehead.

 _"It's over! I've got you now, you miserable Off-Colors!"_ she yelled.

Lars smirked, standing and pointing at her. "You'll never take us alive, Emerald!"

Steven noticed the other gems sitting at positions at the console; Padparadscha, the Rutile Twins and Rhodonite. He couldn't believe it.

"W-What is going on?" he asked.

Padparadscha's hands went to her face. "Captain, I'm having a vision. We're about to be discovered...by Emerald!" she exclaimed.

Steven and Connie grinned at Lars with a mixture of disbelief and amazement. "W-Wait. Captain?!" they cried, at the same time.

Lars chuckled at their reaction. Then, he turned his attention to Fluorite, who was sitting on a staircase. "Fluorite, how are the engines looking?"

Fluorite smiled. "Let me check." she said, in her long drawl, before disappearing below.

Lars pointed at the Rutile Twins. "Twins, fire up the nova thrusters."

"Yes, captain. Right away, captain." both gems said.

Emerald began to become agitated on the screen. _"No! No! Those are my nova thrusters! That is my ship!"_ she shrieked, voice high with rage.

Lars smirked over at Rhodonite. "Rhodonite, everything clear up ahead?"

Rhodonite grimaced. "For now."

Emerald continued on her rant. _"It was a minor inconvenience when you stole my personal shuttle and crashed it on Upsilon 9. It was an insult when you impersonated imperial officers during a cosmic jubilee. But to steal my Sun Incinerator is unacceptable!"_

"If this ship means so much to you, maybe you shouldn't have left it unguarded in the docking bay of Klavius 7." Lars said, with a smug smile.

Emerald's eyes widened in furious disbelief. _"There were 67 elite Citrines guarding it!"_ she shrieked.

Lars shrugged his shoulders, still smiling. "Oh. I didn't see them. No, wait. I did. They didn't see us." he told her, folding his arms across his chest.

 _"Oh, I'll get you! I'll get you myself! I'll do it right now. I'll blow you up to smithereens!"_

Lars laughed. "Good luck catching us. We stole your fastest ship!"

Fluorite poked her head up from the engine room. "The engines are all set."

"Twins, hyperspeed us out of here." Lars instructed.

The Rutile Twins smiled. "Right."

 _"You will not go at hyperspeed!"_ Emerald shouted, though it was futile.

Lars smiled, flashing finger-guns at her. "Bingo, bongo."

The message cut off moments as the ship took off at hyperspeed.

Meanwhile, Onyx was sitting by the edge of the beach, watching the stars. Pearl and Jasper made their way up to her and took a seat on either side of the other gem. Onyx looked at them with a slow turn of her head, but she noticed nothing threatening about their expressions.

"You've both developed love for one another," Onyx finally said, "A pearl and a jasper, fighting together for their freedom. And to think, I can still be surprised."

Pearl and Jasper looked at one another; Pearl smiled a little and Jasper eventually did as well.

"I wish I can say your love will spare you from the suffering of what White Diamond will bring," Onyx continued, still watching the stars. "But do not trust to hope for such things. It is forsaken among Homeworld these days." She looked at Pearl now. "You've been away for a long time."

Pearl was troubled, but said nothing more. She looked up toward the stars and her mind drifted to Steven and Connie.

"I hope they're doing okay..." she said, quietly.

O

Stevonnie struggled with the controls of the Star Skipper. Alarms were going off and they had no idea how to stop it.

"Lars!" they shouted, pushing several buttons to reach the Sun Incinerator. "Lars! We're hit! Nothing's working!"

Lars' face came up on the holographic screen. "Wha-What is your course? I'll try to intercept - "

The connection was suddenly cut off and the screen disappeared. Stevonnie began to panic and their eyes widened.

"Lars?" they exclaimed. They groaned, giving the console a kick. "What is wrong with you, ship?"

As if on cue, the screens on the ship displayed warnings everywhere while beeping loudly. Stevonnie groaned and made a face.

"Oh, pretty much everything..." they muttered. "Well, at least the display works."

The display of the ship suddenly disappeared, casting the cockpit into darkness. Stevonnie's eyes widened and they shouted out in anger and fright.

"Downer!"

The ship's nose tilted downward, toward a nearby moon. Passing through its atmosphere; immediately welcomed by the sight of several towers of black stone amid a ruined grassland. Stevonnie struggled with the controls in an effort to ease the ship up.

"I can't pull up, we're gonna crash!"

Stevonnie looked up sharply and raised their hands to their face, bracing for impact as the ship crashed into a tree. The sight was seen in the distance through ruined gem structures by several pairs of white eyes. A curious chirp filled the air.

Debris from the ruined ship rained down and Stevonnie rolled down, safe and unharmed in a pink bubble. They groaned in pain and sat up as the bubble popped, rubbing their head.

"Oh man..." they groaned. They looked around curiously, marveling at the black towers with a mixture of unease and awe. "Where are we now?"

There was a soft wind that whistled through the air; it vibrated the black stones, resonating a deep, almost ancient pitch that made Stevonnie shudder in response. Something about it was strange, far too alien for them to really comprehend.

They cupped their mouths and called out. "Uh, hello? Anyone out there? Anyone at all?"

No response. Stevonnie looked around warily and gave a nervous laugh. "Okay, I'm fine. We're fine. I'll find the ship's radio and Lars will pick us right up. And...whoa..."

They stopped to look up toward the sky at a broken, Earth-like structure floating. It was such an odd, yet interesting sight.

Suddenly, the sound of humming turned their attention toward the radio of the ship nearby; it had remained enchased in the ruins of the cockpit.

Stevonnie gasped in shock, rushing toward it. "The cockpit!" they exclaimed. Working the buttons frantically, Stevonnie attempted to get in contact with Lars. "Hello?! This is Star Skipper calling Sun Incinerator. It's Stevonnie! Steven and Connie? We're stranded. We need help! Come on! Don't leave me here!"

The radio continued to hum after a few moments before powering down. Stevonnie gave a groan of frustration and stood up.

"What do we do now? That was our best chance." they cried, thrusting their hands in the air. "We can't fix the radio, the ship's beyond hope, no one knows where we are."

Suddenly, there was a soft rumbling that turned their attention toward one of the black stones. Tilting their head, Stevonnie watched it cautiously, producing their shield. Whatever was behind the stone, they had to be careful.

"Hello?" Stevonnie called. "Who's there?"

It took only a few seconds before a shape lumbered from behind the stone; Stevonnie lowered their shield somewhat, horrified by what they were seeing.

"What is that...?" they gasped.

The creature looked like a gem; perhaps a form of quartz given the build and height. Her back was bowed forward, long yellow hair tattered and trailing a series of mats down her back. Her fingers were nothing but large, monstrous claws and bits of dirt had caked them in a mess.

Her face... Stevonnie had never seen a gem look like that before. Her face was covered in what looked like black tar dripping from her mouth. Her eyes were blood red and her teeth were sharp fangs. She snarled and gurgled, staggering toward them with malice in her gaze.

"H-Hello?" Stevonnie said, frightened and backing away. "Hey, hey wait..."

It was futile imploring the gem as she already lunged forward. Stevonnie ducked as the gem surged over their head and raised their shield to protect themselves as the gem charged forward.

Her form crashed against Stevonnie's shield, black tar spewing from her mouth as she snarled and reached for them. Stevonnie grunted, struggling with effort to keep her back; their feet were inched further and further from the might of the quartz.

Stevonnie reached behind them for their sword and shoved the gem back as hard as they could. Before it could recover, their sword slashed through the air, cleaving through the gem's form and leaving it to dispel onto the ground.

O

Stevonnie was shaken, but slowly approached the gem lying in the ground. They bent down to retrieve it and formed a bubble. Studying the gem inside, they tilted their head, noticing the odd spider-like crack of black in the gem's surface.

"What is going on?" they wondered.

Then, the sounds of snarls turned their attention toward the horizon; much to their horror, they noticed several more strange gems making their way toward them, drawn by the noise of battle. Gems of every shape and size with the same black tar-like substance oozing from their mouths. They snarled and made their way toward Stevonnie.

More and more were coming. Far too many to fight on their own.

"Oh no!" Stevonnie groaned, "There's too many!"

They turned and ran from the snarling aberrations, hurrying toward what looked like a forest. The gems were spurred forward by their movement; they chased Stevonnie, their frightening sounds close. Stevonnie raced as fast as they could in an effort to lose them.

"Hey!" a voice hissed.

Stevonnie looked up, spotting a small light in the doorway of a gem structure. A figure was beckoning toward them.

"Hurry! In here!"

Stevonnie didn't want to take the chance with the crazed gems behind them, so they rushed through the door and into pitch darkness. The door was slammed shut and the gems collided into it, piling on top of one another.

O

Stevonnie could still hear the sounds from inside the building. They panted, struggling to collect their breath. The door was double-barred steel, so hopefully it would hold them.

"Hush... they see us..."

"They needed help. What could we do?"

"They will hurt us. Like the others."

Stevonnie heard two voices whispering in the dark; one was low, warm and comforting while the other was high-pitched and frightened. Their eyes struggled to focus on the dim light they'd seen earlier; a staff, held by a large figure. Hooded and cloaked. It was hard to see who this was.

"Hello?" Stevonnie said, carefully.

"Hush, and shush!" the high-pitched voice hissed, "She might be listening..."

"She has...other matters on her mind..."

Stevonnie walked up and the figure gave a soft, unsettled gasp, stepping away from them. The shape was taller, perhaps about the same height as Jasper had been; wrapped in a taggered black cloak and wielding a staff where the small light was coming from.

"Who are you?" Stevonnie asked.

The figure straightened, made several sounds of contemplation before pulling their hood away. Stevonnie's eyes widened and they couldn't help but back away in surprise.

The shape was a gem, given the sharp cut stone on her forehead, but she had cracked pink lips, sunken black eyes and withered pink, curly locks. Behind her head was another head, smaller and with white eyes, whimpering softly.

"Um...hello," Stevonnie tried to be polite.

"Our name..." the gem mumbled thoughtfully, "I...it's hard to remember what we once were. Oh, yes... Magnetite is what most call us. A forgotten fusion from a forgotten era."

"Oh!" Stevonnie blinked, surprised. "You're a fusion?"

"That's right." The cloak parted, revealing a secondary set of slender arms beneath two large ones. She smiled.

"I'm Stevonnie. It's nice meeting you. I'm glad you were here to help us," Stevonnie told her, "We would have been toast if not for you."

"Mm, yes," Magnetite told them, nodding once, "I am glad to have found you. I heard the ship crash and I saw the Forgotten chasing you."

"Forgotten?"

"Yes. The...corrupted gems." Magnetite continued to explain. She seemed to hesitate with her words, perhaps unsure of how to describe it, "Lost experiments from a forgotten time. When the Diamonds created the Corruption, there had to be...test subjects."

Stevonnie's eyes widened. "That's awful!"

"I know, dear. I know." Magnetite looked ahead at the door and her features soured somewhat. "This is not the place to contemplate. Come. Come with me where it's safe. And...quiet."

Stevonnie lingered somewhat, glancing over their shoulder before they decided to follow. The noises of the corrupted gems beating on the door faded in the distance.

"I've just got to hold out until Lars finds me." Stevonnie said, softly to themselves, "Until then, all we have to do is survive."

O

It looked like a garden.

Stevonnie was awestruck by the ruins of the gem structure having been converted to a garden with alien life thriving within. A tall, green alien was drinking from a nearby pool; it reminded them of an Earth Rhino, just languidly grazing.

"Whoa!" Stevonnie exclaimed, "An alien!"

Magnetite chuckled, shaking her head. "You're a curious one, aren't you?"

Just then, a soft chant filled the air. Stevonnie tilted their head and followed Magnetite, curious by the sound. The gem fusion didn't seem like she would explain the sound until they arrived in an enormous chamber filled with gem corruptions.

Stevonnie was shocked by the sight; some had been kept in chains. Others looked disoriented and played with what looked like toys. Others were lying on the floor, moaning and crying. They froze, turning to Magnetite with their sword drawn.

"Explain yourself!" they demanded, "Now!"

Magnetite chuckled, turning to them. "Drawing a sword on your host? Not very kind of you, is it?" she said. Behind her head, the face hissed out with fright.

"Kill us! They will kill us! Told you they can't be trusted!"

"Hush, Jet. It will be fine. I wouldn't trust us either."

Magnetite raised a calming hand to Stevonnie. "Lower your sword. These gems are in my care." she assured them. "These are the ones who still have some manner of their will left. The others out there? Gems who succumbed long before."

Stevonnie lowered their sword slightly. They seemed doubtful, but something about what Magnetite said made sense.

One of the corrupted gems looked like an amethyst; she writhed on a nearby bed, holding her face, which had been replaced with a hideous black mass of teeth. Magnetite sighed sadly and approached her.

"...shatter me...please, just shatter me..." the amethyst sobbed, "Free me from this place...Before I go mad..." She panted, which sounded like sick, weak gurgles, "...Ah, some one...Help me...I'm guilty, I know. But I won't do that again, I promise."

Magnetite placed one hand over her chest and the partially corrupted gem seemed to still for the moment, drawing comfort from the touch. She whimpered, held the hand that touched her and relaxed, sighing long and slow.

Stevonnie watched the scene in silence until they noticed a soft pink light resonate from the fusion. Their eyes widened when they recognized it.

"You're a Rose Quartz..." they exclaimed, stunned.

"Yes," Magnetite told them, turning with a sad sigh. "Part of me, yes..." She seemed to be in thought now, whispering under her breath. "Jet and I...we ran. We shouldn't have ran..."

"Hey..." Stevonnie waved a hand near her face, "Hey, are you alright?"

Magnetite blinked, took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes, I'm sorry. Just...hard to think about it sometimes. I'd prefer not to." She looked at the other partial corruptions and her features smoothed out with sorrow. "I'm doing all that I can to help them, but they succumb eventually. There's nothing we can do for corrupted gems."

Stevonnie nodded sadly. They shared that sentiment. After all, efforts to help Centi hadn't ended the way they'd intended.

Another corruption - a taller, slender white gem - clutched at her face. Her eyes were already red and she began to sniffle.

"Ah, my...my Diamond!" she moaned, sobbing, "My Diamond, please, hold me. Please. Don't let me drown..."

The plaintive sounds the corrupted gem uttered tugged at Stevonnie to come closer. They walked up and raised a hand to the gemstone on the gem's chest. Immediately, the being seized, hissed out with a frightened whisper.

"Who...Who's there?" she hissed, seemingly incapable of focusing on Stevonnie. A hopeful smile lit her face. "Are you...are you my friend? Can we be friends?"

"Um..." Stevonnie seemed doubtful. They looked at Magnetite, who shrugged her shoulders once with a sad grimace. Instead of saying no, they looked up and nodded. "Sure, we can be friends. I'm Stevonnie. What's your name?"

"Uh..." the corrupted gem seemed to think for a moment. "Ah...yes...my name. I'm...I'm..."

Her voice began to skip, like a broken record player. Magnetite reached out and took Stevonnie's hand, urging them to follow.

"Come. You can't do anything for her. She must ride it out on her own." she said, gently.

Stevonnie looked over their shoulder as Magnetite led them away. They couldn't stop looking back at the corruptions with sorrow.

O

While they walked, Magnetite began to explain Corruption and what effect it had on gems. Stevonnie remembered Garnet explaining it before, but hearing its "prototype" discussed sounded much worse than anything they'd dealt with.

"Memory's the first to go," Magnetite explained, "Then..." A long sigh. "Rage and blindness follows."

"What do you mean?" Stevonnie asked.

"Along with Corruption, White Diamond tested...other means of control." Magnetite said, hesitantly. "What we see out there is a testament to that."

She paused in front of a cracked mural of White Diamond on the wall. Stevonnie looked at it and remembered White's face from Homeworld. Magnetite saw the grave, shaken look on their face and chuckled softly.

"You've seen her, haven't you?" she asked.

Stevonnie nodded their head. "Yeah. She's...scary."

"Mm. White Diamond wasn't always such." Magnetite continued, "She was what you'd expect from a Diamond, but never ridden with such madness as now. She finds solace in her work and duties to distract her from the failures. I do not condone what she's done for the sake of progress, but I do understand them."

They entered Magnetite's chambers, which consisted of a domain filled with machines, broken statues, and various other interesting things. Stevonnie couldn't help but look around, awestruck.

"Whoa," they said, "This is all yours?"

"Mm, yes, I keep everything I can," Magnetite said, "It's all in order. It...gives me purpose, I suppose."

Stevonnie nodded. They could understand that.

"Listen, we need to find some way to contact our friend Lars," they said, after a few moments, "Do you have a radio or something?"

"There is a means to communicate in the base just up the mountain," Magnetite told them, "But...with the Forgotten, it might pose a challenge."

"I know." Stevonnie replied, nodding. "But I need to get off of this planet. I have friends looking for me." Their face lit up now. "Wait! You can come with us!"

Magnetite's eyes widened and she chuckled, shaking her head. "That's kind of you, but I couldn't."

"No, really!" Stevonnie insisted, moving to her side and sitting beside her. "We would be happy to have you! Our family is growing. The more we bring together, the stronger we are against White Diamond."

Magnetite seemed hesitant. "Oh... I-I couldn't." A weak laugh escaped her. "Were would I go? I'm much too old and set in my ways."

"There's always a place for someone." Stevonnie said, with a comforting laugh.

Magnetite seemed to think about it, but her smile faded and she looked over her shoulders. "But what of them? I couldn't just...leave them alone. I've cared too much to let them suffer in silence."

Stevonnie thought about it before their features lit up. "We can always bubble them." they offered, "That way, they can rest. They won't have to suffer anymore."

"Really? They will be safe?"

"Yeah. I promise."

Magnetite smiled brightly and it was the first time since Stevonnie had seen her that she looked genuinely...happy.

"We will travel by morning. It won't be safe to walk in the dark."

That late evening, Stevonnie had found sleep in the corner of the chamber under piles of old tapestry. But the sounds of snarls awoke them. They sat up and found Magnetite watching a holographic recording from her gem.

"Magnetite?" Stevonnie said, approaching. "Are you okay?"

No response.

Stevonnie sat down beside her, but noticed the recording playing and their eyes widened.

 _The planet was in chaos._

 _Jet, a Nephrite and a Ruby quickly rushed up a flight of stairs, fleeing from the snarling, frightening crowds of corrupted gems._

 _"Upstairs!" Jet shouted._

 _They hurried into a room and Jet quickly hurried to barricade the door. It buckled and shook from the force. Nephrite and Ruby held one another, panicking._

 _"What do we do?" Nephrite cried._

 _Jet noticed the glass ceiling and quickly rushed toward it, mere seconds as the door was forced from its hinges. A corrupted Jasper charged through, tar dripping from her mouth. She looked from Jet to the other two._

 _"Jet!" Nephrite screamed._

 _Jet whimpered and began to climb the wall, frightened beyond measure. Nephrite watched her in horror and the Ruby screeched out in disbelief._

 _"She's leaving us!" she wailed. "She's leaving us!"_

 _Nephrite gathered Ruby and rushed toward the ceiling, mere seconds as a series of hands grabbed her. Screaming and thrashing, Jet could only watch in horror as corrupted gems seized Ruby and Nephrite, drag them away._

 _"JET!" Nephrite wailed, seconds as the gem smashed the window and jumped through it._

 _She ran as fast as she could, while several corrupted gems pursued her. In the distance was a Rose Quartz, waiting by the ship they planned to leave in._

 _"ROSE!" Jet shrieked._

 _Rose looked up, her eyes widening. "Were's Nephrite and Ruby?"_

 _"They're gone! We need to go!"_

The hologram filtered with static and Stevonnie could only watch gravely as it skipped to a scene of the ship taking off. It made it only a few inches before crowds of corrupted gems jumped onto it, piling their bodies on top to force it back to the ground.

Just as a pink bubble was forming, the image cut out and Magnetite was softly weeping. The secondary head behind hers was also weeping.

Stevonnie put an arm around her and just leaned on her shoulders.

"It's okay..." they said, softly.

O

The following morning, Magnetite led the journey up the great mountain she spoke of; Stevonnie tailed beside her, asking questions about the planet and what its true purpose had been. Magnetite had answered them all patiently, of course.

"We hadn't known about it until it was already too late," Magnetite said, with a tired sigh, "Jet. She...was one of the lab technicians made to monitor the colony and the conditions of the gems. She didn't know. She was scared when it happened."

Stevonnie nodded sadly. "We all do stuff we don't mean when we're afraid."

"There are consequences to that, even then..." Magnetite explained, "You must understand. We all face those in the end, regardless of our intent."

"Then we make it better." Stevonnie replied. "We try to do good and that's what matters."

A soft sound froze both of them where they stood. Magnetite held up her staff and Stevonnie's shield appeared. At the sound of it, the gem fusion beside them looked up, eyes widening in a gasp of horror. She narrowly missed a corrupted topaz charging.

Stevonnie moved quickly, sword flashing and cutting through the gem. Her form was dispelled and Stevonnie bubbled the gemstone.

Magnetite's eyes focused on the shield with a new look that made Stevonnie immediately defensive.

"You...You're a Rose Quartz?" she whispered.

Stevonnie nodded hesitantly. "Kind of. It's a long story."

"You have a Rose Quartz shield!" Magnetite gestured to the shield, that quickly vanished. "No...you... You're HER! The Rebellion leader!" Her features twisted and she studied Stevonnie up and down in disbelief. "Fused...to a human!"

"Okay, let's just relax," Stevonnie urged, raising two hands.

"No!" Magnetite began to shout, her voice high with building rage, "I remember YOU were the reason we were bubbled! I managed to escape in time thanks to Nephrite, but YOU!" She pointed her staff at Stevonnie. "THIS WHOLE MESS WAS BECAUSE OF YOU!"

"No! No, listen!" Stevonnie tried to calm her, "Please!"

Magnetite's left eye began to bleed with red and Stevonnie saw it. Their eyes widened and they attempted to calm the gem fusion down.

"Magnetite, your eye - "

"SHUT UP!" Magnetite spat, her mouth spewing fleck of black tar. Her eyes wandered with panic. "White sent you here, didn't she? That's what's going on! You offer to free me, but this is a ruse to lure me back to her!"

"No!" Stevonnie shook their head frantically. "Magnetite, it's not true! If you just listen and calm - "

"LIAR!" Magentite shrieked, raising her staff. The end of it produced a long blade. "You... You don't deserve freedom! You don't deserve life! This is because if you! ALL OF MY FRIENDS hurt! Because of YOU! Now, you will remain here with us...where you BELONG!"

With that, she lunged for Stevonnie, blade flashing.

O

Stevonnie made an effort to keep away from the slash of the blade. They didn't want to hurt Magnetite and from the looks of things, wanted to stop her corruption before it got worse.

A duck and roll.

"Magnetite, you're corrupting!" they shouted, "Listen to me, please! I'm not your enemy!"

Magnetite's eyes were almost entirely red and she shoved her staff handle into Stevonnie's throat, edging them back against a tree. Stevonnie grunted with effort, struggling against the gem fusion. Magnetite glared at her, mouth soaked with black tar.

She blinked, her features contorting before smoothing out with pain. Voice returning to normal, she staggered back and held her head. "I...I'm so sorry..." she gasped, stumbling onto her knees. "I don't... I don't know what's wrong with me...! I've been...I've been fighting it all along and I..."

Stevonnie reached out, but Magnetite thrust a hand up. "No! Stay back!"

Stevonnie withered at the force of her shout, but looked up when they noticed several corruptions beginning to advance. They reached out to tug Magnetite's arm.

"Hurry! Hurry, they're coming!" they cried.

Magnetite didn't hear them. Her head began ringing at the sight of the corrupted gems advancing. She was pulled to her feet by Stevonnie and rushed up the hill. The sight of the base spurred Stevonnie on and they were almost through the door before Magnetite pushed them inside.

"Magnetite!" they shouted, horrified.

Magnetite smiled, blinking once to calm herself. "Go upstairs. The console. The password is...White, Yellow, Blue, Pink, White..."

"No!" Stevonnie shouted, "No!"

Just as they lunged to stop her, the door roared shut and Magnetite shot the handle, melting it down. She turned, just in time to face the corruptions running at full speed toward her. Among them were the Ruby and Nephrite.

"Hey, Nephrite..." she mumbled, with a sorrowful laugh.

She raised her staff and energy shots took out a few of the gems in poofs of smoke. Slowly, her mouth began to ooze with tar, her eyes bled a deep shade of red and her form flickered once. Twice.

She screamed at the charging gems, the haunting sound echoing through the planet.

O

Stevonnie had slowly made their way up a flight of stairs, leaning against the wall the entire time. They passed another mural of White Diamond and paused, wearily staring up at it.

"Is this what you wanted...?" they moaned, voice breaking. "Was this the plan?"

They didn't know why they spoke. Who would answer? They were alone now. Dazed from what had happened, they struggled up the long flight of stairs until they reached the main chamber. Numb, but still determined to get home, they looked around.

"This is just like the Moon Base orbiting Earth." Stevonnie said.

They noticed a console and climbed up to it. There were symbols of the Diamond Authority. They recalled Magnetite's words about the password. Stevonnie pressed the diamond buttons in that order and a screen lit up.

"Oh!" Stevonnie looked relieved. They swiped until they spotted Lars' ship. "His ship! Finally!"

Lars looked frantic and worried. _"Keep searching!"_ he shouted. _"We're not giving up on them, no matter what!"_

Stevonnie waved their arms. "Lars! Hey Lars! Hey!"

Lars looked at the screen now, eyes widening in relief. _"There you are! We've been looking all over for you!"_ he exclaimed.

Stevonnie sighed long, slouching in the seat. "Oh my gosh Lars, it's so good to see you!"

Lars looked at one of the Off-Colors. _"Send cords to their signal_!" He looked back at Stevonnie with a smile now. _"It's good to see you too."_

After waiting a few minutes, the Sun Incinerator was hovering over the glass dome. Lars brought Stevonnie on board and they were ready to leave, but Stevonnie stopped them.

"Wait, there's something we need to do, first." they said.

Rhodonite looked worried. "What? Haven't you been on this planet long enough?"

Stevonnie shook their head. "Please. I just have a promise to keep."

So hours were spent dispelling all the corrupted gems on the colony; all that they could find and save. The last one was Magnetite, fully corrupted as a creature of teeth and claws. Stevonnie watched the corrupted gem with sorrow.

"I'm sorry..." they said, softly.

They swung their sword moments as the gem charged. Magnetite was dispelled and safely bubbled away. Lars watched the scene in silence, uncertain of what to say for a while. When Stevonnie turned, he noticed the tears in their eyes.

"Hey, we should get you home." he said, quietly.

Stevonnie nodded, sniffling once. "Yeah...I think I'm ready to go home."

They left White Diamond's former colony, but Stevonnie couldn't stop thinking on the message that Magnetite had left them with.

 _"There are consequences to that, even then. You must understand. We all face those in the end, regardless of our intent."_


	26. Chapter Twenty-Six: Alpha and Omega

~O~

 **Chapter Twenty-Six: Alpha and Omega**

They'd returned home.

Onyx was listening to Connie and Steven describing the corruptions and the odd planet they'd been trapped on for a while. The others had also been sitting beside them, worried about their trip.

"Yes, that is a moon White Diamond had used for her early experiments," she explained, "A device was planted in the core and gems were permitted to dwell there under the guise of a research colony."

Connie and Steven listened to her with concern.

Onyx gestured with one finger into the palm of her hand. "The device emitted sound that could manipulate and control these gems without their knowledge. It was intended to be used to control their emotions. However, prolonged exposure did the opposite; it drove them to uncontrollable fits of rage that gradually broke down the core of their gem. You are fortunate it didn't have the same effect on you."

Pearl put her arms around Steven. "Oh, thank goodness you're alright!"

Steven looked at Onyx worriedly. "Wait, that could have happened to me?"

"Possibly. Though you would have had to have been on that planet for a prolonged period of time," Onyx explained, "You would not have had your gem break down immediately. It doesn't work like that."

"So this device, it's still active?" Garnet questioned.

Onyx nodded her head. "It will possibly remain so indefinitely."

"That's awful," Amethyst made a face. "Those gems are stuck like that forever?"

Onyx didn't reply, but the look she gave them was enough.

Later that evening, Steven sat alone on the front porch, watching the stars. Connie had joined him after a moment and they sat in silence, thinking about everything that had happened on the planet. Magnetite. Those corrupted gems. All of it had been harrowing for the both of them. Connie hadn't wanted to leave him alone as Steven seemed unwilling to talk after all of it.

"Are you okay, Steven?" Connie asked.

"I have to be." Steven said, quietly. "I just...have to be."

Connie nodded her head. She couldn't stop thinking about the moon and the corrupted gem either. It was horrible what had happened to them. "Yeah..."

"Connie?" Pearl walked up to them. "Your mother called. She's on her way."

Connie exhaled and hesitated leaving Steven alone. "Thank you. I'll wait here until she shows."

Pearl looked at Steven and she seemed to contemplate talking to him, but Garnet called her back inside and she disappeared into the temple. The two gems were seen talking together and Pearl looked troubled by something, but Garnet raised one hand and eventually, Pearl nodded.

Connie watched them before looking at Steven. "I can call if you want me to." she offered.

Steven shook his head, smiling a little. "It's okay, Connie. I think I just need to sleep. I'm sure you need a good night's rest after all of that too."

Connie made a face. Well, that was putting it mildly.

Still, maybe sleep was something they definitely needed to prepare them for tomorrow. They could rest on it and talk about it later.

As Prinyanka picked Connie up, Steven wandered back into the temple and washed up for the night. He set his MP3 player for some soothing ocean music before lying in bed. M.C. Bear Bear was nearby and he pulled the stuffed bear close.

He struggled to find sleep for a few good minutes, but found himself unable to relax. The memories of White Diamond, the planet and its corrupted gems kept him wide awake.

"Steven."

He had just been ready to close his eyes before Garnet's voice had him sitting up. He looked down over the edge of the bed and found her watching him.

"Steven, come here." Garnet said, gently.

Steven frowned tiredly. "Why?"

"We need to talk." Garnet told him.

Steven sighed, climbed out of bed and walked down the steps to her. "I wasn't tired anyway," he said, quietly.

Garnet reached for his hand and Steven took it. She led him to the warp and Steven looked up at her curiously now. Garnet's features were grave, but sad. She seemed bothered by something and Steven had to know.

"Garnet?" he asked, "Are you okay?"

"We should have told you before," Garnet finally said, "About Rose. What happened. She wasn't just our leader, but she's your mother. It's your right to know." She looked down at the warp pad. "We're going to go there."

"Where?"

"Her Kindergarten."

O

Steven and Garnet warped to a place he'd never seen before.

A Kindergarten filled with enormous exit holes and towering rose-like structures; there were statues of Pink Diamond and even lions. Steven had never seen this place before, but it reminded him of Rose Quartz - his mother. This Kindergarten was larger than Prime and Beta combined. It also looked far more elaborate than anything they'd been made of.

Despite all of that, there were scorch marks that lined the walls. The further they advanced, the more dilapidated and ruined it looked.

Something bad had happened here. It gave him a familiar shudder he'd felt when he had been fused to Connie while they were alone in the tower.

"So...this is where my mom came from?" Steven asked.

Garnet nodded. "Yes. All the Rose Quartz's emerged from this Kindergarten. It was the first Pink Diamond had been here for." she explained. "More time and care was spent here before the war..." She hesitated and an unsettled tone filled her voice now. "Before White Diamond destroyed it."

"What?" Steven looked surprised, catching her tone now. "She destroyed it? Why?"

"After..." Garnet hesitated again. "After what became of Pink Diamond, that was the turning point for her. Remember what she was like on Homeworld, Steven. It was worse then. That's why I'm telling you this; so you know what to do when the time comes."

"I thought White Diamond never left Homeworld."

"She did... once."

Garnet didn't answer. She looked toward a bed of white crystals and approached, running her hand over it. Steven followed her and touched it too. He winced and drew his hand back.

"It's hot!" he exclaimed.

"Yes." Garnet replied. "They say her fire always burns. It's magnified by her rage...her madness. That's why we were so afraid. The fact that you got home alive and away from her clutches... I don't want to think what she could have done."

Steven shuddered. Neither did he.

"There was a great battle here." Garnet continued, "The Battle for Alpha. Lives were lost during this fight. Gems... shattered. So many gems..."

"You were there?" Steven asked.

Garnet nodded sadly. She raised two hands, producing a holographic memory from her gems. Steven watched the memory unfold, uncertain of what he would see.

O

[Gem War]

 _"It'll work!"_

 _"Bismuth, this is madness! We don't even have Rose with us! What if we fail?"_

 _"We won't!"_

 _Garnet couldn't hear the discussion that night. She had been positioned carefully among the rocks of the Kindergarten, beside a peridot. She had been warning them earlier about this, but Bismuth was determined. She wanted to have it over._

 _"Look, we've got Garnet on our side!" Bismuth said, with a smile. She gestured to the fusion. "I got faith in all of us!"_

 _There were two amethyst's watching the end of the Kindergarten. They whispered cautiously to one another, unsettled by the eerie silence._

 _"We should go back." the first one suggested._

 _The other watched the distance cautiously. "No. They need us here. Just in case she shows." she reminded her, "Just hold steady."_

 _Something changed in the air; it was an unsettling wash of fear that immediately brought the two gems on guard. They tensed, their spears producing in their hands. Warily, they watched the distance before hearing the menacing sounds of heels approaching._

 _CLACK, CLACK, CLACK..._

 _The two watched with wide eyed as White Diamond rounded the corner, body radiating with fire. She stood there, not looking at them at first. The two gems held their breath, horrified by the sight of her. They had known she would show, given Garnet's vision, but they had not been prepared for it._

 _Finally, White slowly looked in their direction and they seized at the wide-eyed, almost blank look on her face. It was like staring at a lifeless doll._

 _Then, a grin stretched across her face. So sudden. So eerie and so very frightening. The two amethyst's were frozen, unable to move as she slowly walked up to them. In that moment, they forgot what they were supposed to do._

 _Garnet looked up sharply at the sounds of screams. "She's here!"_

 _Several gems scattered as White rounded the corner, armed with a long, dangerous scythe. The blade glinted ominously in the light of the moon. Two amethyt's fused and raised their trident-like weapon, unleashing blasts of energy at the Diamond._

 _White Diamond's cloak hummed with electricity and she began to spin on her heels, deflecting each shot with expert precision. The fusion continued to fire in a desperate attempt to wound her before White Diamond swung her scythe through her form._

 _The others watched in horrified silence as the amethyt's face suddenly went slack in pain. She looked down at her body as it began to flicker with light, crackling as if she were a television gone static. Garnet could only stare in muted shock as the gem began to crumble apart like glass._

 _White Diamond looked up at the sight of fused gems crouched on top of the Kindergarten. Several of them were armed with whips. They jumped down to surround her and their weapons cracked through the air, wrapping around White's wrists several times. Another whip wrapped tightly around her throat and the wide-eyed Diamond grunted lowly._

 _Garnet watched with amazement as the Diamond struggled to move forward, held back by a multitude of gem fusions. Bismuth smirked with pride. She elbowed Garnet once._

 _"See? Nothing to worry about!" she assured her._

 _White continued to struggle for a few moments, her features twisted with effort. Then, she looked straight at Bismuth, all that struggle vanishing immediately from her face. What came next was an almost bored flat look that startled all of them there._

 _White jerked her left arm and the force sent the fusion holding her flying through the air. The others watched in horror as White swung her arm with a wicked grin, sending the fusion smashing into the other that held her down. It toppled them viciously to the ground._

 _But it didn't stop there; White continued to throw the fusion around; she was tossed into walls before finally thrown flat to the ground with enough force to crack the earth below. Smoke shot up and the other gems were shielding their eyes from it._

 _The gem thrown into the ground laid there in a daze, shaken and unable to move. A black heel pressed into her and she groaned in pain. White leered down at her before grinning, raising her heel and bringing it down on the gem._

 _Her form was dispelled, but as soon as the smoke cleared, they saw that wasn't the case; glittering shards littered beneath White Diamond's heel. She calmly regarded the sight, shaking her head and not acknowledging the scream from one of the rebellion._

 _Garnet and Bismuth looked horrified by the sight._

 _"We need to warn Rose!" Garnet shuddered, "We need to go!"_

 _Bismuth looked up as several more gems fused together; a combination of jaspers wielding an enormous axe. The fusion looked down at them, speaking loudly._

 _"Go! We'll hold her off for as long as we can!" she said._

 _Bismuth shook her head. "No way! She'll shatter you!"_

 _"Don't worry about us. You need to go, now!" the jasper fusion told her,"We'll hold her back while you get to Rose. This is our purpose. What we're made for. We're ready. We're ready to die if it means protecting this planet from the likes of White Diamond."_

 _White smiled now, delight ringing out of her stoic voice. "Silly creature. When I'm finished with you. You're going to wish that's all I did."_

 _The jasper fusion gave a fierce roar, charging with her axe. White's scythe appeared in her hand once more and collided with the axe; she was forced back several paces, her heels dragging in the dirt. The other gems watched the sight with a mixture of awe and unease, but realized that she was right; they had to warn Rose that White Diamond was here on Earth._

 _They turned and ran, leaving White and the jasper fusion alone._

O

 _The jasper fusion swung her axe with a loud, powerful call of battle; it was strong, carrying through the great canyon of the Alpha Kindergarten. White caught the attack with her scythe. They struggled for dominance, swinging both weapons back and forth._

 _White's smiles were far too empty during the entire fight; she seemed almost content, as if in a dream-like trance. It was strange, eerie and a little disquieting, but the jasper fusion would not give up her fight just yet._

 _With a fierce grunt, she was inched back against the wall from White's strength; the blade of her scythe drew closer and closer to her eye. The jasper fusion grunted with all her strength, her secondary pair of arms catching White's scythe handle._

 _The Diamond blinked, watching as the axe from the first pair of arms raised up. She recoiled from the swing and was forced back several paces. When the jasper fusion swung her axe up, White's scythe caught the attack and the weapon was sent flying from her hands._

 _It spun end-over-end through the air before embedding itself into the ground._

 _The jasper fusion lunged at White before she could recover; slamming the Diamond into her midsection and knocking her to the ground. She raised one of her fists and brought it down, but White calmly turned her head to one side to avoid the punch._

 _Another punch struck White directly in the mouth. She hadn't moved from the blow this time; grinning, she took punch after punch before seizing one of the many arms._

 _The jasper fusion attempted to grapple with her, but White rolled, kicking out her leg in the fusion's midsection, knocking her viciously back several yards away. Behind her waited Bismuth at the top of the canyon._

 _"Hey!" the gem yelled, "We're going to Rose. But we'll be back for you, I promise!"_

 _Garnet shook her head as Bismuth started to depart. "Bismuth, what I saw - "_

 _"Remember what Rose said, Garnet," Bismuth assured her, "Fate can be changed. We know it. You said yourself that we win the war! And we can win...with the Breaking Point."_

 _Garnet recalled Bismuth discussing it in private with her before. She had developed a weapon sure to win the war against Homeworld. All she had to do was pitch the idea to Rose and it would all be over. She had the utmost confidence in it._

 _"Alright..." Garnet said, smiling._

 _Below them, the jasper fusion tensed, watching as White slowly rose to her feet. "She's not fast..." she said, softly, "A Diamond may be big, but on this battlefield, we're made for war."_

 _Eyes widening, the jasper fusion gave a shocked gasp when White surging through the canyon at top speeds; she was coming right toward her with wide, manic eyes. Despite her sheer size, White was faster than the fusion belived._

 _"Stars, no...!" she gasped out._

 _White dove forward, scythe appearing in her hands once again. She swung the blade, mere seconds as the jasper fusion produced her axe. The weapons colliding knocked her flat onto her back with White crouched over her. Sprays of fire flew from her weapon, scorching the ground around them._

 _"How much worse do you want this to get?" she asked in a bright, happy voice; she was pushing her blade harder, bringing it inches from the jasper's face once more. Her voice rang out with near delight. "I can make it much, much, MUCH worse for you. All you will know is pain."_

 _The fusion drove her elbow into White's back, struggling to dislodge her. They grappled for dominance for several moments and the jasper managed to get White's head in a fierce lock in her arm. She kicked out her legs, slamming the Diamond into the ground._

 _The jasper fusion grinned triumphantly down at her. "Hah! See if you can get your head out of this one!"_

 _White grunted, one hand digging deep grooves into the dirt. The other grabbed at the arm around her neck. She clenched her teeth, opened her mouth and let out a scream that nearly shook the very air and canyon around them._

 _The powerful, banshee-like wail carried for miles, crippling gems from Homeworld and Rebels alike; they buckled to the ground, holding their ears in agony. The sound practically cut through their forms, drawing the worst possible pain imaginable._

 _The jasper fusion winced, her secondary arms holding her ears._

 _When White finished screaming, the fusion scowled down at her. "What was that?" she hissed, with an unsettled smile. "Calling for help? It won't work! Homeworld is done and so are you!"_

 _No response from White._

 _The jasper fusion scoffed. "At a loss for words all of a sudden, diamond?" she sneered._

 _White's body began to vibrate and it took a moment to realize she was laughing. Gradual building, sinister laughter echoed from her. The jasper fusion looked down, confused by the sound and apprehensive._

 _White grinned, cackling long and loud; the noise was so foreign on her that the jasper fusion didn't know what to make of it. She had never heard a Diamond laugh that way before. The blaze from White's fire began to burn brighter. Hotter. Hotter than anything the jasper had endured._

 _"Come, fusion; join me in the flames..." White suddenly whispered, with a synthetic giggle._

 _She began to crawl her way toward the fire, dragging the fusion with her. The jasper fusion looked up with dread, struggling to pull White back from the blaze, but the Diamond was stronger; she had been toying with her the entire time._

 _"No, stop!" she shouted._

 _"Why?" White laughed, gleeful. She continued to crawl. "Don't you want to feel as I do? Don't you want to see what I see?"_

 _The fire engulfed them both; White was unharmed by it, but the jasper fusion began to sweat and feel the effects of it. She gritted her teeth, groaning out in pain._

 _"Always..." White murmured, with a sound sadness, "It's always the same..."_

 _The fusion released White and jumped from the fire, stumbling several times in the dirt. She had been singed almost completely; her uniform was burned and her hair scorched. She staggered back, watching as White slowly rose from the blaze, her eyes glowing. It gave her a frightening appearance, like that of a primordial being._

 _The jasper fusion staggered back as White stepped out of the fire, retrieving her scythe. The fusion looked down, horrified to see her hand beginning to crystalize from being exposed to the flames. She cried out, clawing uselessly at it as White loomed over her._

 _"Wh-What is this?" the fusion shrieked. "What's happening to me?"_

 _White smiled down at her. "Don't worry. I will deliver you soon enough. But I must ask one question before I do..."_

 _The fusion shuddered in agony, looking up at her with confusion._

 _"Was all your suffering worth it?" White asked, with a smile. "Was it everything you'd wanted? Was SHE everything you wanted?"_

 _"Please..." the fusion begged, realizing that this was a worse fate than she believed White to be capable of; it hurt so much, "Have mercy!"_

 _White calmly placed one of her heels into the fusion's chest and raised her scythe high; the act silhouetted her against the flames and moon. Her next word was simple, but carried all the weight of her grief and wrath that could crumble whole armies._

 _"No."_

 _With that final word, she brought her scythe down._

O

Steven couldn't stop thinking about what he'd seen. When he and Garnet had returned home, she'd spent time telling him about how White couldn't be reasoned with; there was nothing they could do to change her mind. He knew that. Being on Homeworld was a good enough example based on what he'd seen from her.

Garnet had also been shaken about what had happened. She blamed herself for the loss of gem life during the Battle for Alpha.

"It wasn't your fault, Garnet." Steven tried to offer comfort.

Garnet shut her eyes, a sorrowful look touching her face now. "I should have done more for them. I was the one who saw White Diamond in my future vision."

Steven shook his head and put his arms around her to comfort her. "Garnet. I don't think they blame you. I don't blame you."

"I just..." Garnet hesitated. "I had to show you. You had to know what we're going to be up against. I know it wasn't pleasant for you to watch, but you are a Crystal Gem. We can't hide anything from you anymore. Especially now."

"Thanks, Garnet."

And he'd meant it.

It was good to visit the Alpha Kindergarten to see where his mother had come from, regardless of the past that he'd been shown. It also explained what had happened to it and why White had been there to destroy what was left.

It made sleeping a little difficult that night; he was left with new information, and yet, more questions than he had before.

He slowly shut his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

O

In his dreams, Steven found himself standing back in the canyon of the Alpha Kindergarten. Whispers resonated around him, but with words he couldn't quite make out. He made his way deeper into the Kindergarten and heard a soft, melodical weeping.

Steven frowned, and followed the sound until he froze at the center of the Kindergarten, his eyes widening.

White Diamond was there, kneeling with her back to him. Her hands clutched her face and she was...crying? Steven blinked, shocked by the sight. He wasn't sure what else to do but watch.

White suddenly stopped crying; two long-nailed hands slowly ran through her spiked hair. She took a deep breath and let it out through her nose. Steven took a step back and his heel kicked at a rock.

Eyes widened. Diamond-irises narrowed.

Steven swallowed thickly and backed away as White looked over her shoulder to him. Her face was streaked with tears. Yet...she didn't seem like the same Diamond who had attacked him and Lars on Homeworld. Instead, she just looked tired.

"Uh..." Steven tried.

White smiled broadly at him. "Have you come to surrender?"

"No." Steven said, shaking his head. "I don't - I won't surrender."

A quiet chuckle. "I know. I know you won't. Such is your way, little quartz. Such as you've always been. That was how she made you to be." She tilted her head, studying him. "Neither will I. I will never stop until the whole of the Rebellion lies shattered in the earth. I've waited five thousand years. It is but a twinkle in the eye of a Diamond."

Steven held his gaze strong. "I can wait too."

White smiled, as if delighted by the notion. "And what of your friends? Your broken legion of toy soldiers? Can they wait as well?"

"They have nothing to do with this!"

White laughed now, her synthetic voice ringing out in a discordant manner. The thought seemed to give her great amusement and Steven withered a little at her laughter. It sounded so delighted, so playful that it gave him chills.

"Ignorant thing. How easily you forget," she said.

She raised her hand and white fire blossomed around her palm, burning bright enough to hurt Steven's eyes. He shielded a hand over them, wincing at the sight. When the light dimmed but a little, he watched a tiny flame figure dance in White's palm. She seemed to watch it with a mixture of awe and sadness.

"We all make choices for the good of a whole," she said, with a quiet whisper, "And we will eventually pay for them in time. That's a thing we share, little quartz."

She crushed the fiery being with a single clench of her fist.

"No!" Steven snapped, waving his hand. "I'm nothing like you!"

White suddenly grinned and her voice was light, eerie. "Are you afraid?" she asked.

When she received no answer, she turned and rose, towering over Steven. "You only make it worse for them the longer you wait," she said, her synthetic voice ringing with amusement. "It's all the same to me in the end, no matter how hard you fight."

Steven backed from her when she began to stalk toward him.

"Give them hope, Rose. Give them courage." White whispered, eyes nearly glowing, "I will take that from you first. And only when you're left alone, weeping over your fallen, misbegotten slaves will you have the right to be shattered."

"You can try, but I'll always be here! There will always be gems who will fight!" Steven shouted up at her, "You can say and do whatever you want, but as long as there are gems willing to stand up against you, there is always hope!"

The entire time he was speaking, White was quietly laughing, as if she took more amusement in the speech than anything else. She backed away slowly into the shadows.

"I hope so Rose. I truly do." she whispered, malevolently.

With a sinister chuckle, she vanished into the dark.

O

Steven awoke in the middle of the night and wandered outside to the front porch. He looked up toward the stars and thought about what had happened. What would eventually happen.

The door opened and Pearl stepped outside. "Steven? Are you alright?" she asked.

Steven sighed. "I couldn't sleep."

Pearl sat down beside him and put an arm on his shoulder for comfort.

"I'm sorry, Steven." she said, quietly.

Steven leaned against her and shut his eyes. He didn't say anything more for a while. When he opened his eyes and watched the stars once again, he thought of Lars and the Off-Colors, hoping they were okay. White Diamond made it clear what she wanted to do.

Meanwhile, Lars and the Off-Colors were drifting through space, relaxing from their recent experience on the planet of corruptions. They sat in a circle in the center of the ship and Lars gestured for them to have a meeting.

"We need to be careful," Lars told them all. "White Diamond is crazy. We've all seen what she's capable of on Homeworld. She'll catch us the minute she gets a chance. I don't want to imagine what she'd do to you guys if she does."

Rhodonite shuddered, holding herself. "I don't want to think about it." she mumbled.

"That's why we need to go to Earth." Lars assured them. "We'll be safe if we stick together. All of us."

The Rutile Twins smiled and looked at each other. "We trust you, Lars. We know you won't let us down." the left Rutile told him.

As they spoke, White was on Homeworld, watching various monitors in front of her. A single long finger scraped the edge of her throne. She observed the inside of the ship that housed the Off-Colors and Lars with a thoughtful smile.

Yes, she would let them hope.

And tear it from them.


	27. Chapter Twenty-Seven: Gem Picnic

~O~

 **Chapter Twenty-Seven: Gem Picnic**

Steven turned the camera on and he wandered around the temple.

"Okay, so...this is our kitchen," he said, narrating the video.

He made his way over to Amethyst and Spinel; the two were making a pie together and Amethyst looked up when she noticed the camera.

"Steven? What are you doing?" she asked.

"Making some videos for my TubeTube channel." Steven told her. "Do you two want to be in it?"

"Okay." Amethyst wolfed down the entire pie in a single gulp.

Steven switched the camera off. When he turned it on again, Amethyst and Spinel were standing behind the counter, surrounded by plates of food. Steven held a timer in his hand and quickly rushed to her side after setting up the camera on a tripod.

"Food eating contest!" he exclaimed, grinning.

Both of them began to shovel food into their mouths shortly after Steven hit the timer. Their antics sent scraps and mess all over the kitchen floor and doors.

"Spinel! Amethyst!"

Pearl's shocked voice caused them to look over. Steven quickly picked up the camera and pointed it in Pearl's direction. She was standing on the warp pad, hands on her head.

"What are you doing? You're making a mess!" she exclaimed.

"We're making videos for my TubeTube channel, Pearl." Steven told her. "It's a food-eating contest. Did you want to join in?"

A sigh from Pearl. She grimaced as the camera was pointed in her face. "Steven, no. We have to work on understanding the Diamond's and their plan. If this is the start of something, we must be ready for..."

She trailed off when she noticed that the camera in Steven's hands had gotten closer and closer to her face. Sighing, Pearl rolled her eyes.

"Come on, Pearl. This is really fun!" Steven said, in a sing-song-voice.

Pearl stared at the camera for a few moments. She murmured with discontent.

O

Steven switched the camera on again, focusing on Garnet as she stood outside. She was surrounded by tables covered with jars of pickles.

"Okay, now Garnet is going to demonstrate the proper way to open pickle jars," Steven narrated, "Now I know a lot of you at home struggle constantly, so she's here to help. Okay, Garnet. I'm recording. Whenever you're ready."

Garnet stood there in silence for a moment before she readied her gauntlets. She raised one arm and gave a loud, powerful yell.

The camera cut out for a second in static. When it started back up, Steven was wiping pickle juice from the lens. He sighed and shook his head before focusing the camera on the mess of jars around him. Garnet seemed proud of herself.

"They're opened." she said.

"O-kay..." Steven replied, "That's one way to do it."

He shut the camera off.

When he switched it back on, Onyx was in the frame.

"This is Onyx. She's really strong." Steven narrated. "She can show you some moves, right, Onyx?"

Onyx stared at him. "What is the purpose of this?"

"Well, for fun."

"Fun?" Onyx tilted her head.

"Yeah. Show the people watching how great you are!"

Onyx's lips twitched in an effort to smile, but it was gone again. "I don't have any intent to parade myself, Steven." she told him. "It's not proper."

When they were back inside, Steven was watching the video he had recorded and uploaded to his TubeTube channel. The camera was still on and recording him laughing the entire time. Garnet sat beside him and watched it.

"Look at all the views!" he said. "Garnet, everyone loves you!"

Garnet smiled. "Humans seem to love these videos quite a lot. It's no wonder they waste a lot of time on the internet."

She stood up, gave Steven a pet on his head before making her way downstairs. Steven chuckled and decided to edit more videos he still had saved on his tablet.

Then, after a few hours had passed, he could hear Peridot and Jasper talking to one another outside. Curious, he stood up and started to leave, but not before taking his camera and walking out onto the porch. He spotted the two gems on the beach, surprisingly quite civil.'

"...you punched an Injector leg through my chest, I'm allowed to hold a grudge." Jasper snapped.

Peridot shifted uneasily. "Oh...you remember that?"

"Yeah, I remember that."

"Well, you were going to kill Steven. What else was I supposed to do?"

Jasper inhaled deeply. "I'll get you back for that. Don't think I won't."

"Don't you have anything better to do than worry so much about getting revenge?"

"Don't YOU?"

Peridot sighed through her nose. "Look, Jasper; I'm sorry. Really, I am. But I've learned a lot on my time here with the Crystal Gems. And from the humans in their company. It's that we can't change the past, but we can choose to move forward and live."

Jasper, surprisingly, had no argument.

They both looked over their shoulders, sensing the camera on them and Steven quickly darted off with a yelp.

"AH! I wasn't listening!" he cried, "I'm sorry!"

O

The camera switched on.

Steven excitedly rushed out of frame, but returned with a sign that was labeled "AMETHYST vs JASPER". He held it up to the camera, making trumpet sounds in the process.

Once he pulled the sign away, Amethyst and Jasper were there. Amethyst shapeshifted into "The Purple Puma" and stood in a perfect stance.

"Come on, sis!" she said, grinning, "Show me what you got!"

Jasper stared skeptically into the camera. "I'm not doing this. It's stupid."

Amethyst tapped her shoulder, continuing to taunt her. "Come on! What, scared I'm gonna kick your butt? Let's do it!"

Jasper rolled her eyes and made a face. She continued to endure Amethyst's pestering before finally grabbing her. The two rolled around in the sand and Steven watched with a laugh.

O

Steven began to record his reactions to movie trailers while Jasper watched with him. They both were off-screen and commented on each one.

"I can't believe they have a trailer for Dogcopter Five!" Steven said.

"What's a dogcopter?" Jasper asked.

"Shh! It's starting!"

The video opened with a simple troll running across the screen, giggling. Steven sighed impatiently and Jasper scoffed.

"Ah, troll." Steven said.

He clicked the LIKE button underneath.

"Why did you like it?" she asked.

"Ah, I just have a lot of love to give." Steven said, with amusement in his voice.

O

Another video that started up with "Jasper VS A Spider".

The camera had been placed in the cabinet, as not to be seen. The video continued with Jasper sitting on a chair while reading a book. She reached for a glass, but spotted a spider crawling across the counter. She scowled at it and raised her hand, palm out.

She slapped it down, but the spider skidded across her arm. Jasper grunted furiously and struggled to slap it off of her.

It simply bounced away across the floor and Jasper snarled.

"Don't run from me, you little..." she spat.

She grabbed chair and tossed it, smashing the wood to splinters. The spinder continued on and she pursued it through the house, tossing things and smashing her fist through the floors. The spider had crawled up the wall, so Jasper had produced her helmet and drove her head into the wall.

The spider had, unfortunately, skittered up onto the ceiling.

"Oh, you think you're safe up there, Earth insect?" she bellowed, "I am a Quartz soldier with thousands of years experience in combat! You are a stupid, furry little thing with no other purpose than to PERISH! I will NOT BE BESTED!"

She grabbed a plant and threw it.

The video cut out, but returned with Pearl talking with Jasper in the kitchen now, trying to understand the mess. The others were also there with them.

"I was trying to kill a spider." Jasper argued.

"With what, the whole house?" Amethyst said, cackling.

"Maybe." Jasper shot back.

Pearl sighed. "Jasper, honestly, it was just a spider. Why would you need to - "

Jasper was listening to Pearl's discussion for a few moments more until she glanced down when the spider crawled across their path.

"Hold on." she said, raising a finger to Pearl.

She grabbed a potted plant and began to beat the spider with it. The others jumped and recoiled, staring at her in disbelief as it continued for several long moments. Finally, Jasper looked up at them with a smile of absolute pride.

"I got it." she said.

O

The camera switched on, revealing the structures of the Sky Temple.

Jasper was training with Connie and Steven that morning at the Sky Temple while Amethyst and Spinel watched from the stands. Spinel seemed to consider something before she stood up.

"Okay, I want to do it." she said.

Amethyst looked at her curiously. "Do what?"

"I want to train," Spinel told her. "I want to fight. Like you."

"Really?" Amethyst looked surprised.

Needless to say, the others did as well. They'd stopped training long enough to hear her. Connie leaned on her sword a little and tilted her head.

"Spinel, are you sure?" she asked.

Spinel nodded, attempting to stand as tall as she could. "Yeah, I wanna be strong like the rest of you guys. For me and for my sisters!"

Jasper chuckled a little. "Alright. Well, do you think you can even start by showing us a weapon?"

Spinel looked confused.

"A weapon?" Jasper repeated, as if Spinel should have known that. "You've seen Quartz's battle each other in training halls, right?"

Spinel nodded. Then, she made a face. "I don't know if I can make a weapon."

"And look at Pearl." Jasper pointed out. "She made a spear that would bring down legions of Homeworld soldiers! I'm sure you can."

Spinel smiled. "Alright. I'll try."

She shut her eyes and focused her gem as hard as she could. Nothing happened. A frown and she tried again.

"Okay... any second..." Spinel said, grunting with effort.

Jasper made a face and rolled her eyes.

O

It had taken almost all morning, but Spinel was still incapable of producing a weapon. She was about to give up on the idea when Priyanka entered the temple, holding her phone in her hand. It halted everyone and they stopped what they were doing to look at her. She looked breathless and frantic.

"Sorry for not knocking, but I have to find Greg Universe!" she said.

Greg was in the kitchen passing around slices of pizza when she said his name. "I'm Greg Universe." he joked. "What can I do you for?"

"Listen, I've called every single performer, musician I can find in the yellow pages!" Priyanka told him. "But everyone in town is booked solid! I need someone to perform at my company picnic!"

Greg smiled. "Company picnic, huh? Sure, I can do that for you. It'll give me a chance to work on some new songs."

Priyanka sighed with relief. "Oh, thank you!" she said, "You are a literal lifesaver, Mr. Universe. The picnic is in a week. Do you think you can have enough material to charm groups of families, some of which involve my supervisor?"

Greg smirked and gestured to himself. "You're talking to a guy who's charmed crowds of ladies in less time flat. I got this."

Priyanka nodded her approval. "Good! Good, I expect my coworkers and supervisors to be impressed. My job is on the line!" Then, her phone rang and she quickly answered. "Speaking." Her eyes widened as she walked out the door. "No, no, you listen Stromberg; you tell the petting zoo that we are NOT backing out! Those goats are going to be there even if I have to put you in a goat suit myself!"

The others listened to her ranting as she disappeared down the steps. Pearl raised an eyebrow.

"Wow, a picnic," she said. She smiled. "Well, that sounds reasonably tame."

Greg made a face. "I wouldn't be so sure." he told her. "These things have been known to be violent."

Jasper smiled her approval. "Well, I'm impressed. The humans know how to have fun after all."

Amethyst raised a hand. "I'm in!"

Greg looked surprised for a moment before he smiled. "Alright. We can all pitch in and make this a picnic they'll never forget!"

Steven stepped outside and found Onyx on the beach once more, standing there and watching the water. He smiled up at her.

"Hey, did you want to come with us to the picnic today?" he asked.

Onyx raised an eyebrow. "The what?"

"The picnic. There'll be fun stuff there; you can eat lots of good food, listen to my dad's music and play games." Steven explained.

Onyx hesitated. "Was I invited?"

"Well, we're all going. So you can come too."

Onyx glanced down at him and he took her hand. She blinked at the contact, stared down at the place their hands joined before smiling a little.

"Alright." she said.

O

The sounds of kids running around screaming echoed all around them. Jasper looked quite annoyed by the sight and she gave Greg a dirty look. The others were holding dishes of food in their hands and even Greg looked surprised by the level of energy.

"You tricked me again!" Jasper snapped. "This isn't violent! It's...well...annoying at best."

Steven smiled up at her. "Come on, Jasper. They're just kids."

"I've seen human children, I don't like them." Jasper quipped. "They're disgusting."

Pearl made a face. "Well, if we're going to do this for Connie's mother, we can make the most of it." she said. She looked around, noticing several humans gathering dishes of food onto a table. "Ah, well, I'll see if I can put these plates of food on the table."

Jasper didn't like being around human children; far too noisy and far too nosy. Her experience at the mall certainly proved that enough. But if Pearl could tolerate them, then perhaps she should. Greg was busy carrying his music equipment onto a stage.

"Wow, a paying gig for the first time in months!" he said, smiling. "And look at all these families!"

Steven helped carry a speaker onto the stage. "Are you sure you can do this, dad?" he asked. "I mean, a lot of these people seem pretty important."

"Trust me, Steven; your old man's got this."

"Okay, dad." Steven said, with a laugh. "I'm gonna go check on Jasper and Onyx."

He wandered over to Jasper, who stood by the petting zoo. Immediately, the animals began to move toward one side of the fence, as if drawn to her. She made a face and Steven laughed at the sight.

"Pearl's right; animals do like you," he joked.

Jasper made a face, then she chuckled a little. "It did make collecting my army easier." she replied.

Once Greg was finished setting up his equipment, Priyanka approached him, forcing a grin on her face when she noticed her supervisor stepping out of his car.

"Greg, do you see that man there?" she asked, pointing.

The man in question seemed to have a permanent frown etched on his face. His gray hair was receding and he wore a dark brown suit. Overall, he didn't seem like the kind of guy you disappointed; at least, that was how Greg saw it.

"Yeah? He looks...fun." Greg said, also trying to smile.

"That is my boss and he's left me in charge of the company picnic. Everything has to go off without a hitch. So you understand how important this is." Priyanka told him. She chuckled and gave Greg a pat on his shoulder. "No pressure."

Greg stood on the stage as she walked away, suddenly quite nervous. "Alright then..."

O

A few humans were playing a game of volleyball.

Jasper watched them curiously, observing as the ball was smacked back and forth between the two groups of humans. Garnet had taken to playing with them and seemed to be enjoying herself. She looked over at Jasper with a smile.

"Hey, Jasper. Want to join us?" she asked.

Jasper frowned thoughtfully before she chuckled. "Fine."

The game went well with Garnet on one human team and Jasper on the other; unfortunately, Jasper had gotten entirely too into the competition and ended up spiking the ball so hard, it formed a crater on the opposing team's side.

"Yes! You've been conquered!" Jasper bellowed, with a gleeful grin. "Never again will you best me!"

One of the humans looked at Garnet skeptically. "Is she always like this?"

Garnet shrugged with a chuckle. "Let her have her moment."

Meanwhile, Spinel was making an effort to produce a weapon, but to no avail. She huffed, frustrated before noticing a few humans walk by with painted faces. She gave a yelp when one passed her looking more like a turtle.

"Ooh, is this war paint?" she asked.

"Uh...no."

Amethyst wandered over to Spinel who had decided to get her face painted. She sat down beside her and didn't notice what Spinel was painting on her face.

"Hey, how are we doing, Spinel?" she asked.

"I feel...better." Spinel said, with a smile in her voice. "I think I'm okay. Oh! Look at this!"

She turned, showing her painted face; she was Lion. She smiled brightly.

Amethyst sputtered a laugh. "Alright, scoot over. I'm next."

While Amethyst was getting her face painted to look like a lion, Spinel eagerly waited for her. Then, when Amethyst was painted up, she bopped the tip of her nose against Spinel's drawing a blush and giggle from the messenger gem. She hid her face in her hand before glancing beyond her to Onyx. She tilted her head and frowned sadly.

Onyx blinked, glanced down when she noticed two human children and Onion looking up at her curiously. "Yes?" she asked, confused by their presence. Most creatures didn't approach her so easily.

Onion held up a piece of cake to her and Onyx stared.

She reached and took the plate of the treat. Onion gestured to his mouth and opened it, imitating chewing. She was taken by the gesture, but nonetheless began to eat the offering. One of the humans held up a bracelet and began to slide it onto her wrist.

"Oh, what is... Oh." Onyx glanced down at the crude offering.

The child brightened and held up a bracelet on his wrist. It looked like Onyx's. She didn't know how to handle the gift, but gave a small nod.

"Thank you, human." she said. "It's a suitable gift."

When the human children departed, she glanced down at the bracelet and her hand shook. She blinked rapidly, swallowed thickly and resumed eating her cake. Alone.

That evening, Greg was performing a song and everyone had begun dancing to it. The dancing was wild and Pearl seemed to be having fun doing it. Jasper watched from the sidelines and Pearl beckoned for her to join in. Jasper managed a weak smile and shook her head in response.

Pearl looked disappointed for a moment before she wandered over and took Jasper's arm. The gem refused for a moment, blushing slightly with embarrassment. She noticed Spinel and Amethyst dancing in the crowd too. They looked ridiculous, but didn't seem to care.

That somehow seemed to give Jasper an incentive. She would not allow herself to cower away while Spinel and Amethyst bested her.

So she allowed Pearl to dance with her in the center of the crowd. "What do I do?" Jasper yelled through the music.

"JUST DANCE WITH ME!" Pearl yelled back. "Don't think, just move!"

Jasper raised an eyebrow, amused by her change. Usually, Pearl didn't seem to be for this sort of thing, but she certainly tried. So Jasper took her hand and they began dancing. The elated grin on Jasper's face was addictive and Pearl couldn't help her delighted laugh.

Well, perhaps these picnics weren't so bad if they always ended like this.

O

The camera had been left on.

Pearl and Jasper were lying by the fireplace; Pearl was reading dramatically and Jasper was lying on her belly, hands tucked under her chin as she listened and watched with a delighted smile. Pearl really put emphasis on story telling when she wanted to.

"Can you read it again?" Jasper asked.

Pearl chuckled. "Seriously?" she said. "Is this your favorite one?"

Jasper smiled. "It is when you read it."

Pearl blushed and waved her off. "Oh, stop."

"Please?"

The way Jasper had uttered the word made Pearl surprised, as clearly evident by the look on her face. Instead, she didn't argue and wiggled closer to Jasper, allowing the other gem to rest her head in her lap. She continued the story from the beginning.

After the story had finished, the camera was slowly running out of battery life, but Jasper had fallen asleep in Pearl's lap. Pearl smiled down at her, gently running a finger across the little hairs that fell over Jasper's eyes.

She kissed her forehead and whispered "I love you" to her.

Jasper merely mumbled something that made Pearl chuckle affectionately.

The camera's battery life had died down moments as Pearl snuggled into Jasper's arms.

In the middle of the night, Steven awoke to the sounds of sobbing. He sat up, but noticed that Jasper and Pearl were sound asleep together on the couch. He was used to hearing Jasper getting up in the middle of the night, but here she was at peace.

He walked to the kitchen and peered outside. Spinel and Amethyst were standing there, looking troubled. Steven looked at them worriedly.

"Is someone crying out here?" he asked.

Amethyst sighed, rubbed her forehead before pointing down.

Steven followed the direction of her finger until he spotted the shape of white boots sticking out from beneath the wooden steps. He tilted his head, peered under them and found Onyx sitting there, clutching the sides of her head with two hands and swaying, quietly sobbing.

"Onyx?" he said. "Hey, are you okay?"

She jerked the moment he said her name; lifting her head sharply, she looked at him, eyes wide and streaked with tears. She looked different from the stoic being the first time he'd seen her.

"This is why..." Onyx mumbled, under her breath, "This is why she takes them away..."

"Onyx, hey," Steven began. "We can't help you unless you tell us what's wrong."

Amethyst and Spinel made their way down the steps, watching the scene silently. Onyx stared at Steven, features crumbling with pain.

"...This is why she takes them away..." she repeated, moaning, "This is why."

Steven glanced down at the bracelet she still had on her wrist. "Hey, that's a nice bracelet," he told her, hoping to distract her from the pain she was experiencing, "Did someone make that for you at the picnic?"

Onyx looked down at her wrist. Then, she took a shaking breath and nodded. "Yes." she said, her voice evening out. "Human children approached me and one of them gave it to me as a gift, I assume."

"That was nice of them," Steven told her, smiling.

"...I suppose it was," Onyx seemed to calm a little now that she was focused on the bracelet. "Mm, humans are strange creatures. I can see the allure your warriors have with them."

Steven laughed and he was happy to see Onyx feeling better.

It made him wonder what would happen next now that she had her ability to feel emotions. Was this going to get worse for her? He didn't know.

"Onyx? Are you feeling better?" Steven asked.

"Yes..." Onyx answered, glancing down at the bracelet. "I've...simply been thinking on the gems I've shattered. We're not supposed to think on these things, you understand."

"Yeah, but that's the past." Steven told her, "You can be better than that, now."

Onyx shook her head with a sigh. "I've done unspeakable things in the name of White Diamond. Some of those things aren't simply forgotten."

"Maybe not," Steven agreed. "But we can all work together to try and make things better."

Onyx murmured thoughtfully. "Perhaps... But do you truly intend to have me remain with you? After the things I've done? What I almost did to you?"

Steven smiled and nodded. "Sure. I might take time for everyone to get used to you, but you're one of us now. And that's how it'll be."

Onyx chuckled quietly. She looked up toward the night sky.

"Well, it'll be quite the experience, I'm sure."


	28. Chapter Twenty-Eight: Iridescent

~O~

 **Chapter Twenty-Eight: Iridescent**

Connie knew she shouldn't have kept it. It was a bad idea, probably.

After she'd left Steven at the Temple, she'd worked on trying to understand the Black Robonoid that had caused such horrible nightmares. She hadn't told Peridot that she'd taken it from the ship during a run for supplies, but a part of her felt that was wrong. Still, she had to know more about it. Maybe if she did, she could help Steven.

She sat alone in her bedroom, staring at the diamond-shaped screen that had come out of the Robonoid she'd worked at. Maybe it projected images back? Maybe that was how White had known they'd fall asleep. It was all confusing and weird.

 _Early that morning, Peridot and Connie were together in Onyx's ship. There were many Black Robonoids lined up on a shelf. One of them caught her eye._

 _"So...who made these?" Connie asked._

 _Peridot sighed, shaking her head. "Some say White Diamond. Some say gems of her court. No one knows," the gem explained._

 _"Weird." Connie replied._

 _"Yeah. Weird." Peridot turned to go. "I need to check this next room. I want to find anything salvagable for the barn. Stay here if you must."_

 _"Do you need me to carry anything else?"_

 _"Maybe. Don't touch those Robonoids." Peridot paused in the doorway. She cast a wary eye to them. "They...freak me out."_

 _Without a doubt. Connie didn't disagree with her. Peridot left the room and she returned her attention to the rows of Robonoids. She reached out and picked one up, despite Peridot's warning. Curiosity took over and she ran her fingers over the round surface of the small device._

 _"...Alright, I found a few spare parts, so..."_

 _Connie quickly hid the Robonoid behind her back, just as Peridot entered. She raised an eyebrow curiously when she noticed Connie's almost forced smile._

 _"Did you find anything?" she asked._

 _Connie shook her head. "No. Uh, nothing. Nope."_

 _Peridot exhaled. "Fine. I think there's a collection of archives down the hall. This was no doubt the ship of an architect. They collect documents on their travels. Perhaps Steven could use them as necessary for his education in Gem History. We can look there."_

 _"Of course." Connie answered._

 _Peridot murmured thoughtfully, still watching her with a frown before departing. Connie placed the Robonoid in a pocket on the shoulder bag she had taken with her, before she followed Peridot down the dark corridors._

 _"I didn't expect you to volunteer to join me on this trip," Peridot said._

 _Connie sighed, shrugging her shoulders. "Things seem a little...tense at Steven's. I figured this would be a good way to spend my morning."_

 _Peridot nodded her head, features clouding with thought. "A lot goes on when you miss a day with us. But...that's to be expected. As a human with educational responsibilities, you can't be here for every little thing we do."_

 _Peridot had been right about that. Connie wanted to be more involved in gem activity rather than school, but her mother would never allow that. She had never told her about the battle, but sometimes she had dreams about it. Nightmares that kept her up at terrible hours of the morning. Fortunately, it didn't affect her work at school, but she knew it wouldn't be long before her mother figured something out._

Connie hesitated for a moment, studying the Robonoid before she decided that maybe she should take a break from it and work on homework.

After a few moments of doing some essays, she'd fallen asleep at her desk with the Robonoid humming silently beside her head.

O

Connie's bedroom door opened and Priyanka entered with a smile on her face. She was carrying a tray of dinner for her. Connie blinked, rubbed her eyes and frowned. Priyanka set it down and walked up, leaning over to study her homework.

"Ah, are you almost finished?" she asked.

Connie laughed and nodded. "Yeah. Almost. About an hour and I'll be done with history."

Priyanka smiled and it seemed like it took great effort to do so. Connie noticed how sunken and heavy her eyes looked. It was strange; her mother always did look tired after work, but this felt different. She looked as if she hadn't slept in months.

Connie looked down when she noticed Priyanka's fingers began rapping on the desk in a peculiar distracted manner. Rhythmic, constant... It felt very off.

"Uh, are you okay, mom?" she asked, frowning.

Priyanka smiled again and nodded. "Ah, yes. I'm fine, Connie. Just...thinking. My head's been full of distractions lately. It interferes with work."

The air felt heavier. Connie's instincts told her something wasn't right with her mother. A sensation of cold filled the room and she stood up as Priyanka began to scan the room with her eyes. Her mother seemed distracted, but there was a peculiar sense of alertness that Connie didn't see in her before.

When she turned to leave the room, a hand was on her shoulder. "Connie. Where are you going?" she asked. Her voice was smoother, much more synthetic.

"I should check on dad." Connie lied, with a weak smile. "I haven't heard him all day."

"Are you sure? It's just us here."

Connie glanced down, her eyes widening. The hand on her shoulder had long, black nails. Connie looked over her shoulder and found Priyanka smiling broadly. It was a cold, sinister smile that had her recoiling and running from the room.

A low, synthetic cackle echoed through the house as she ran down the stairs of her home. The steps kept going.

And going.

And going.

She wasn't sure how long she'd been running, but she spotted a light from her living room and frantically rushed toward it. Once she made it at the bottom, the light shattered and a terrifyingly deep, almost mechanical laugh filled the air.

O

"Mom?"

Connie found herself at the front door of her house, and she could hear soft sobbing sounds in the room. She looked around for signs of her mother and father, but she could see no one. All she heard were the eerie sounds of crying.

The sobbing gradually transformed into strained, hysterical giggles that had her blood chilling. Wherever the sound was coming from, it drew her deeper into the house. Her home felt larger in a way that seemed unnatural and the more she walked, the colder the rooms felt.

She walked toward the kitchen, passing several framed photos and portraits that reflected white eyes with black diamond-shaped irises. The eyes followed her with cold intent as she passed, but she didn't notice them. When she entered the kitchen, she found the lights off and it was empty.

"Dad? Dad, where are you?" Connie asked, looking around.

Connie made her way to the front of the house again, threw open her front door and stepped out into the street, still calling for her father. Everything was cold, dark and quiet. When she looked up, she noticed the sky looked strange. There wasn't a single star in the sky and no moon. It was pitch.

 _"Why are you running from me?"_ a soft voice whispered. _"Don't run. I promise to do good..."_

She turned with a frightened sound, but relaxed at the sight of a butterfly fluttering near her. Connie studied the small insect and smiled weakly, reaching out with one finger. The insect crawled across her finger and she studied its details; white with black stripes and long antenna. She remembered how she'd seen butterflies when she was younger. There had been so many at the time...

 _Look at the butterflies, Connie!_

Looking up at the strange, eerie voice, she spotted more butterflies gradually appearing around her; their wings fluttered loudly as they swarmed together into an almost humanoid form...

White, glowing orbs formed where eyes should be.

Connie's eyes widened in horror and she turned, fleeing from the shape. A haunting laugh echoed behind her and she continued running down the street. She didn't know where she was going, but she had to get away from whatever it was.

"What's going on?" Connie panted, as she made her way toward the familiar sight of her school.

She grabbed the door handle, rushed inside and closed it.

The school was empty, but the floors were covered in pieces of paper. Connie frowned as a gentle wind billowed them down the halls.

"Hello?" she called.

The school remained silent and she started forward. One of the papers tumbled across the floor and Connie noticed there was writing on it. She bent down, picked it up and noticed that the writing was in Gem. She couldn't understand it.

Soft crying filled the air and Connie felt herself pulled forward toward the noise. She walked down the hallway and turned the corner, stunned to find several Cluster Gems kneeling on the floor. Ghostly, ethereal sobs seemed to resonate from them. It was strange to see them there in her school. But this confirmed that it couldn't have been real.

Connie couldn't move. She was frozen in place.

"Cluster Gems?" she gasped, softly, "What are they doing here? This has to be a dream. It - "

Frowning, she looked toward a door where she could make out the sound of static. Connie slowly pushed it open and entered what looked like her classroom. Her homeroom teacher was writing something on the board that she couldn't see.

"Uh, hello?" she said, "Listen, something's going on and I think you should - "

The static was coming from a radio on his desk; Connie knew he liked playing music for the class when teaching. Sometimes he'd play classical music to relax everyone during tests.

Connie looked down at the radio and a voice rumbled from it. It sounded familiar, but she couldn't place where she'd heard it before. It was synthetic, smooth and authoritative. Had she heard it somewhere or was it from Steven's memories? After forming Stevonnie, it wasn't unusual for her to have memories of his experiences sometimes.

 _"Look behind you, Connie..."_ the radio voice hissed.

Connie blinked, horrified by the sound. She turned, but nothing was behind her. The teacher at the chalk board stopped writing and trailed a loud, agonizing screech down the length of it with his nails. When he turned, Connie was shocked to see his eyes were white with diamond-shaped irises.

She backed away as the teacher slowly advanced. His nails were long and black and he scraped them across the desk.

"You can run away from me as much as you like, child," the voice from the being whispered, "But you won't get far. Run away to your friends, but it is they who are the deceivers. Not I."

"This is a dream..." Connie murmured, shaking her head as she defied the image in front of her. "I'm dreaming."

"You took one of my Robonoids." the figure continued, with a constant, eerie grin. "What did you really think was going to happen? They are devices used to manipulate the world of dreams. Quite fun, too. You should know that when it comes to power of the mind, I am master."

Connie's features lit up with realization. "White Diamond."

The figure paused, smiling brightly. "You seem familiar with my name, though I do not recall meeting you until this very moment."

Connie hesitated talking. She watched as the figure seemed to shed its form until the very visage of White was now there before her. Though she wasn't as tall as she'd expect from a Diamond. This WAS a dream, after all.

"Well, little human?" White purred, eyes glittering with delight. "Nothing to add?"

Connie turned and ran from the room. White just smiled, shook her head and followed behind her in a leisurely stroll.

"Come now, Connie. Running away again? There's nowhere to hide. You know I'll find you."

Connie turned the corner where the Cluster Gems had been kneeling and she froze with a shriek when an enormous white hand with black nails shot out at her from the shadows. It viciously swatted the Cluster Gems aside to get to her. A piercing, enraged scream echoed from a place she couldn't identify.

She narrowly managed to avoid the nails as they came down into the floor, cracking the stone. Turning in the other direction, she passed rooms where the doors slapped wildly.

One of the doors flew off of its hinges and another large, white hand seized her tightly. She was yanked thrashing into the shadows. Sailing through the air, she found herself thrown through the dark until falling face down in a bed of snow.

O

Connie groaned in pain and sat up, looking around for signs of White Diamond. She didn't see her anywhere, but noticed she'd been laying in snow. Looking up, she was surprised to find herself sitting in what appeared to be a Gem Temple. In spite of its ruined condition, it looked like it had to be an important place once.

A clacking of heels and Connie looked up, frightened by the sight of White Diamond now standing there. The Diamond smiled too brightly. Too widely. It was frightening and had her retreating a few steps away from her.

"Encountering me in the world of dreams was surely a task by Rose Quartz, was it not?" she said. "She is quite manipulative with her Rebels."

Connie shook her head quickly. "No! No, it was all me." she told her. "I just... I had to see for myself if everything they said about you was true." She wavered a bit and held out two hands, trying another tactic. Maybe trying to talk sensibly as Greg had with Blue Diamond would work. "I...I didn't mean to steal anything, O...great White Diamond."

White smiled, tilting her head and murmuring thoughtfully. "You are...polite for a human. But I do not require the flattery of a lesser being to know what I am." she mused, as if delighted by the thought than anything else, "What are you, may I ask?"

"What...am I?" Connie looked confused. "You want me to explain what I am?"

A continuous, eerie grin lingered on White's face. "If you wouldn't mind."

"Um..." Connie fidgeted and tried to find the right words. "I'm a fighter. I help the others and - "

"I see. Yes, you're the 'warrior' from my reports." White nodded her approval as she interrupted her. "It's not often a native being could impress me. Well done."

Connie shifted a little where she sat. Regardless of White knowing the truth, she seemed to take interest more in being told. It felt...surreal to be talking with White Diamond at all, but she had questions and so many of them. She thought that maybe she could simply find a way herself while the others put for effort to seek answers to Pink Diamond.

White began to circle her now, watching with glowing eyes. "You like to wield weapons with the gems, do you? Who trained you? Was it Rose?"

"Kind of." Connie tried to force calm in her voice.

"'Kind of'." White mimicked, with a soft laugh.

Connie withered at the noise and watched as White faced her now. "You don't want to keep the truth from me, child. I'll know." She tapped the gem on her forehead for emphasis and the smile on her face chilled Connie's bones.

"It was Pearl."

"Oh yes. I understand. The toy who believes herself to be an individual." White said, with a sigh of pity. She laughed, her synthetic voice ringing out discordantly. "It's such a shame."

"And anyone who doesn't follow you ends up like those gems on your planet."

A laugh. "I have many planets under my dominion. Which do you speak of?" White tilted her head and her grin widened. "Ah, you mean the moon. You've seen the results of my experiments - my drive for perfection."

Connie swallowed thickly. She didn't want to think about it.

White sighed through her nose and seemed to show a form of regret. Maybe not for the gems, but for the failure of the experiment. "Evolution has its dead ends, I'm afraid. Some are permitted to rise, but others fall in place of the strong. Your species knows that better than most."

Connie scowled now. "Well... What gives you any right to judge us?" she found herself shouting. She couldn't help herself.

White smirked at her now. She waved one hand and the world around Connie vanished, along with the Diamond. It was replaced with images of war, familiar sights of destruction, chaos and suffering throughout history. Connie knew what these were; she'd been in history class at school long enough to understand what she was doing.

The images disappeared and she was returned to the same place with White standing there once more.

"Human kind...you understand more about war and treachery of the spirit than most gem rebels. I admire the strength of your denial, regardless of how misguided that is. Your wars are arrogance, just as the very one Rose Quartz began had been. For all her talk of love and hope, she was the most evil."

Connie withered a little at her words. Each sentence felt punctuated with carefully veiled rage. But she sought to understand a little more. She felt like she had to.

"Have you heard the story of Pink Diamond's destruction?" White Diamond asked.

Connie sighed, nodding. "Yeah. That's what started the whole rebellion."

"But did you hear it from our side? No, I don't assume you have. That's the fascination of war, human; it is told by its survivors. Truth and logic are swayed, tales are woven to justify the murders. That is how it is and how it will be for millenia to come. Would you hear me?"

Connie managed a weak smile. "I don't think you're giving me a choice."

"Good, good. I will tell you how it happened." White continued. "The war began at the hand of a single Rose Quartz, one with a tongue of a serpent. She had used her ability to charm gems to create a following, one that SHE believed would liberate Homeworld from our tyranny. But I ask you, human; is it an act of a tyrannical being to preserve Order and Wisdom?"

Connie didn't know.

"What is it that drives them? There is nothing among them but bitter sorrows, broken leadership and crumbling ruins of a life once lived. They murdered purity. They took from Homeworld Hope and Love. To want a Diamond dead, it takes a gem with a truly evil heart."

Hearing this from the frayed Diamond conflicted Connie only the slightest. Because despite her emotionless manner of speech and her unstable ways, she could still somehow hear pain in White Diamond's words. Loss. Maybe in a strange sense, the Diamonds were just as much of victims as the rebellion had been. But none of them could see that. It wasn't as if they made it easy.

But something in White also resonated a broken, twisted sense of logic as well. Something had her frayed, bordering on the edge of madness herself. The images she'd seen in her dream proved that enough. Yet for as long as she spoke to her, there was a calm.

"As it is, I live to create and spread my influence across the cosmos. Those who stand in my way - those who stand in the way of Perfection and Order - are cut down. As I see it, it is a basic principal of the universe; actions create reactions. Once, the rebellion looked to Rose Quartz for hope and freedom, and I will take from them that hope and leave only horror."

"But they're not the same! None of it is the same!" Connie insisted. "I know you're upset and I know losing Pink hurt you and it made you angry - "

"Angry?" White interrupted, with a shaken laugh. She looked shocked by Connie's words. It was the first real almost...human look to her now.

Connie froze at the high, almost disbelieving laugh from the Diamond. White stared at her with wide, unseeing eyes that suddenly looked very unsettling. Their peaceful conversation - albeit unsettling as it still was - looked to be at an end.

Instead, White laughed again, shutting her eyes. "Is...that the word for it? I used to be angry when gems failed me. I used to be angry when an experiment would go wrong." Her next words were punctuated with an eerie, broken series of notes. "I...used to be ANGRY when native life sought to struggle against perfection and order."

Connie watched her warily.

White smiled, her features frightening again. "If that is what angry truly means...what am I feeling now? If you know the word, tell me, little human. Because I don't."

"I'm sorry."

White stared at Connie, who began to cry a little.

"I can't imagine what that's like, losing someone you love." Connie said, her voice shaking out of her. She didn't know why she was crying now. Maybe a part of her didn't want this and maybe a part of her felt true genuine sympathy for White Diamond. "I know that you feel hurt by it and I know you want to hurt others, but there are really good gems here. Gems who want to do better. Hurting them won't bring her back."

White's features smoothed out a little. She gave a humorless sound. "I see you are kind, human. I see you mean well. Maybe that was the reason Pink had become so taken with you." she said. A sigh and she rolled her eyes. "I warned her every day that your kind was infectious, but she had to have her way. And perhaps that was my fault for indulging in her peculiar ways."

Connie didn't say anything, but it gave her soemthing to think about. White gave her the impression that she was much like a mother. Maybe if gems had mothers.

"But I can do nothing with words. I cannot fix what was broken with a simple 'sorry' and a pass of my hand. I am doing this for us - for our kind. Rose Quartz is the reason for this chaos. It is she who destroyed hope and reason. And it is I who will fix it."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"For the same reason you wished to speak to me; the same reason you have hidden this from your comrades. I wanted to understand." Another chuckle, laced with coldness now. "I wanted to comprehend what it is about your species that Pink loved so much."

Connie didn't know what else to say. But when White began to advance with a hand raised, she backed away quickly, almost stumbling. White's gem began to glow brightly.

Brighter.

And brighter.

"Wait, no!" Connie cried.

"Time to send the proper message, little human," she purred.

Connie clenched her teeth and shook her head.

"If this is a dream, there's no reason I can't control it either!"

White blinked, eyes widening as Connie's bright pink sword suddenly appeared in her hands. She raised it, just as the Diamond's gem glowed bright enough to blind her.

O

Connie had her eyes covered.

When the light eventually dimmed, she found herself standing in a white chamber that looked as brand new as the day it was made. It was glistening with several lovely patterns of stone. Connie looked impressed by the sight of it.

"Whoa..." she said.

 _Clack, clack, clack..._

She looked up with surprise at the sound of heels and noticed White walking passed her. She seemed different and not at all the frayed, mad being she had been in her dream. Instead, she seemed more focused and passive.

White didn't see her and walked into a room. Connie followed behind her, unable to resist her curiosity. Was this a memory of some kind?

Wait, was this White Diamond's memory?

Connie looked shocked as she noticed Pink Diamond standing in the room, holding something in her hands. She seemed more than happy by it and White was setting up a few things at a table. Connie was taken by the sight of it.

Pink looked smaller than the other Diamonds. Much smaller, actually. She had short, fluffy pink hair, wore a uniform made up of fine chiffon and elegant robes.

"I'm... I'm in her memories..." she said, aloud.

The older Diamond glanced over and noticed Pink was busy occupying herself with something. Furrowing her brow, she leaned to one side.

"Pink Diamond." White said.

Pink didn't hear her. She tilted her head, licked her lips and wiped a smudge from the cheek of a lion that she held in her hands. The animal stretched, yawned and purred in her arms. Beaming happily, she giggled and held the animal close.

"Yellow's wrong. You're cute." she mused.

White sighed. "Pink Diamond." she repeated, when the other didn't hear her.

White eventually sighed when the smaller Diamond didn't react; she rose, setting down a small cup before approaching Pink, her grand robes trailing behind her. Pink paused and smiled up at her.

"We have lessons today," White reminded her. "What do you have there?"

Pink grinned, delighted. "Do you know that colony you said I could have? I found this little thing running around on my Palanquin. Look!"

She seemed so star-struck by the sight of the animal. White tilted her head, raising an eyebrow and Connie was reminded of the way her mother often looked at her like that when she was confused or just not sure how to handle something trivial.

"Yes, it's an organic species," White replied, "One of many that roam the surface of your soon-to-be colony. Did you read the files of each specimen like I asked?"

Pink looked bored. "Yes. I did."

White nodded her approval. So much patience in her. Connie would never have guessed that this was the same Diamond who had terrified Steven on Homeworld and then, her dreams. This one in memory was a complete stranger.

"Pink, come here. Set that thing down."

"Why? It's cute."

"Perhaps you may think so, but that creature does not serve a function and you should do away with it. We have lessons. Come. Take a seat."

Pink exhaled. "White, look at him!" she insisted, holding the lion up to her. "He has a use! I promise he does!"

White stared at her with a long, blank frown. Then, she sighed, cast her gaze upwards.

"Very well. He can lay with you while you study if it'll keep you quiet." White replied.

A happy laugh from Pink. The sound made White smile. A rare, genuine smile. Pink started to follow her and they passed a fountain. Before she could continue, White stopped her and gestured to the fountain.

"No. Clean your hands before you sit," she chided gently.

Pink chuckled knowingly, set the lion down and ran her hands through the water. White watched her and Connie felt herself unable to stop smiling. She wasn't sure why, but there was something almost... familiar about the way they acted together.

It was almost like watching Steven with Pearl, begging her to meet him halfway about something before Pearl finally relented.

"Let's see your hands," White eventually said, "You know I prefer things to be clean when you use -"

Pink grinned, playfully splashing White with the water on her fingertips. The older Diamond blinked once. Twice. She calmly wiped her lower lip with one pointed nail and shook her head. How utterly ridiculous at times. Still, it made White Diamond smile sometimes.

A giggle escaped Pink and White sighed.

"Honestly, Pink..." she murmured.

They spent that morning going over the history of Homeworld and learning of its growth in the form of colonies. Pink had been curious about the role that they had.

White crossed her legs and chuckled. "Well, the Authority is what gems need, Pink," she explained, "Some gems know what they need because we make it so. But this isn't meant to be cruel. It's mean to be kind. We perform our roles to keep them in line and make sure they stay safe."

Pink thought about it. She hesitated asking her next question for a moment. "But...if we keep gems safe, why did you break that Citrine?"

White sighed through her nose. "Gems are often times made in the image that fails them." she explained, "Not every one emerging is perfect. It's a shame, really, but we do what we must."

Pink frowned, trying to understand. "But she seemed nice. She talked to me. None of the others do."

White sighed patiently, shaking her head. "Pink, as a Diamond you may be called to make difficult choices. Such is part of our duty."

"But why?"

"Well...because we are the Authority. There must be examples made and a strive for perfection. It is the basis of our survival and the survival of all gem life."

"Well, why?"

A warm chuckle from White. "You ask many questions."

Connie couldn't take her eyes from the sight. She never imagined such an interaction from the Diamonds before. Pink had a young, almost innocent way about her. She never thought she'd see any Diamond that way before. Maybe they started that way.

Pink's face lit up and her eyes became mooney. "Oh! Oh, White, I just had the greatest idea!"

White had switched on the holographic file again. "Alright."

"What if I keep some of them?"

"Keep what?" White looked at her, read the grin on her face and sighed, features pinching with a mixture of disgust and disapproval. "Oh no. Why would you want to keep them?"

"They're REALLY CUTE!" Pink insisted, grabbing White's arm and shaking her a little. "Please, I'll take good care of them! I promise!"

Connie's eyes widened. "The human zoo..." she murmured. That had to be what Pink was talking about.

White allowed Pink to beg her and even shake her arm with enough force to move her back and forth. She looked nonplussed for the longest time.

"Please, White? PLEASE?" Pink begged. "I promise I'll get a place for them in everything!"

White sighed heavily. She pinched the bridge of her nose and looked down at her. "You can't possibly be with them all the time."

"I'll make gems who can!"

"This is...clearly important to you..."

Pink grinned, delighted. "It is!"

White stared at her with dismay for a few moments before she nodded. "Very well. If you REALLY want to play with these humans, I'll allow it."

Pink squealed happily and threw her arms around her neck in a hug. "THANK YOU, WHITE! Thank you, thank you!"

"Yes..." White murmured, primly. She delicately removed the arms from around her neck. "Just...design the schematics of the gems and I will overlook them. There will be a facility they must remain. Will you be prepared to design that as well?"

Pink nodded eagerly. "I will! It'll be the best!"

"I do not doubt..."

The way White said it suggested some manner of sarcasm, but the warm smile on her face was there again. Connie couldn't believe such a sight was possible.

"Yes! I can't wait to rub it in Yellow's face!" Pink started to leave.

"If it gets your little facinations out of your system..." White quipped.

White smiled, shook her head and straightened in her place.

The memory began to flicker and Connie watched as the world around her glitched out like a computer. She backed away, stunned as she was now standing in a chamber where Pink was crying, rubbing her eyes with two hands. White was standing across from her, shaking her head.

"You broke her, didn't you?" White sighed.

"It was an accident!" Pink insisted, tearfully. "Please, can you fix her?"

White shook her head. "I'm not sure that I should." she replied, "You had a responsibility, Pink. I was so certain you were ready to handle that responsibility. Yellow didn't believe so, but I wanted to give you a chance."

"Please!" Pink begged, grabbing her leg and shaking. "I'll be good, I promise! Give me another chance, White! I won't break this one! PLEASE!"

White stared at her, sighing. She glanced over her shoulder briefly. "Very well. I'll give you one of mine instead. She will require a few modifications to suit your need, but she will do."

Pink smiled happily, wiping her eyes. "Thank you, White! Thank you, thank you!"

"Now, you will - " White began.

The memory suddenly froze, like a television screen on pause. Connie looked around, confused and surprised. All around her, everything began to flicker like static and she could make out the snarling hiss of White's voice somewhere.

"Get out...GET OUT!" came the high, frightening, mechanical screech.

O

Connie was brought back to reality with a sharp gasp. She looked around, noticing that she had been back in her room. The Robonoid was still lying there, humming with energy. Connie took a moment to collect her thoughts before she tossed the thing to the floor. It sparked a few times and the faint sound of White's laughter emerged from it.

The Robonoid hummed a few more times before it eventually powered down. Connie stared down at the thing gravely.

She slowly made her way downstairs where her parents waited, sitting in front of the TV. Doug looked up at her with a smile.

"Connie!" he said, "Is all your homework done?"

Connie nodded, numb. "Yeah, dad."

"Well, that's good!" Doug missed the look, "Your mother's making dinner tonight. You want to watch our favorite?"

"Sure..."

She took a seat beside her father and it wasn't long before her mother joined in. They watched the show, oblivious to what had happened.

But Connie couldn't enjoy the show.

She spent most of the night staring at the wall.


	29. Chapter Twenty-Nine: Pale Nightmare

~O~

 **Chapter Twenty-Nine: Pale Nightmare**

The Off-Colors were resuming their duties on board the Sun Incinerator. Lars had been quite eager to reach the colony where they could have the Nova Thrusters repaired. The nearest colony was one of Yellow Diamond's asteroid mines, but they had barely managed to escape.

Rhodonite had found another colony far from the eyes of the Diamonds. "Captain Lars, I think I found a place!"

Lars smiled. "Really? Where is it?"

"It's not far," Rhodonite explained, "It's a rest colony called Paradise Way. Occupied by gem pirates, but we should be safe there."

Lars chuckled. "Pirates, huh? Well, we should fit right in."

The Rutile Twins smiled at one another. Oh, this was certainly going to be fun. Just like their visit to that gem Jambourie.

Once they continued their path through space, Lars decided to take a little walk below where he found Fluorite busy at work monitoring the engines. He gave her a small smile before stepping toward a chest filled with various items Steven had brought with him from Earth.

One was a photo of Sadie and the other Cool Kids. Lars chuckled, lightly running a finger across the image of Sadie before the power suddenly went out in the ship.

Jumping up with surprise, he whirled, shocked to find Fluorite gone from where she was. "Fluorite?" he called, "Hey, what happened? Did we stall again?"

No answer. Lars dropped the photo into the chest and made his way back up the stairs. He was shocked to find the gems gone and the ship in pitch darkness. Lars gave a frightened gasp, looking around rapidly for signs of them.

"Rhodonite?" he cried, "Padparadscha? Twins?"

Suddenly, the entire glass window lit up with white flames and a haunting, terrible scream. Lars' eyes widened and he staggered back from them. The fire had completely blotted out the view of space and a set of white, ghostly eyes stared back at him from within.

Lars yelped and fell flat on his backside.

"Where are you going, Lars?" the familiar voice of White Diamond rumbled out of the fire. "To Earth? With these...misbegotten slaves? Do you believe they will welcome you with open arms? But give them hope if you must. Give them courage. I will take that from you first."

"H-How are you here?!" Lars cried, rubbing his eyes once.

A cold chuckle. "I can see everything through the vastness of the cosmos. You can't hide from me," White's disembodied voice filled the ship. Her voice became light with delight. "I have a little toy for you to play with. Since you're well on your way to that broken colony."

Lars wasn't sure what the voice meant, but he was snapped out of the illusion when he felt two hands on his shoulders. He whirled and noticed it was Rhodonite. She looked worried by his alarmed stare and raised her first set of hands to her face.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Lars blinked, looked around for a few moments before he breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, Rhodonite." he assured her. "Are we almost at Paradise Way?"

The Rutile Twins looked back at him. "Right ahead, Captain Lars." Left Rutile told him.

Lars looked up and spotted the sight of a distant planet; littered with welcoming lights, various ships and signs. It was sight that relieved him. Their Nova Thrusters could be fixed there, without a doubt and they could finally head to Earth.

Still, he couldn't stop thinking about why he'd seen White Diamond, but it was best not to tell the Off-Colors about it.

Meanwhile, White calmly sat in her great throne, watching the monitors of Homeworld before her.

A single long, black nail raked down the side of her arm rest before she rose. She approached a low coffin-like chamber and leaned down, stroking a hand over it. A shape writhed within it, voice muffled by the thick metal.

A synthetic chuckle escaped her lips. "Ah, my unyielding creation," she sighed. "Broken and evolved to my needs. Such a beautiful toy you are."

Leaning closer, she whispered to the door; her voice was unsettling to two other gems standing there watching.

"Rise, if you would," White whispered, "I want that chattering animal brought to me. Shatter the rest and stain that domain of the lost and wretched in their very essence."

A pair of bright red eyes opened and White smiled with pleasure. That cold, malicious laugh she uttered filled the dark chamber.

O

Paradise Way was filled with life.

Lars and the Off-Colors were amazed by what welcomed them; stands and markets of various gems, alien life and bright lights. The Off-Colors also seemed comfortable among everyone. Lars was happy to see that too. No one was staring at them. No one was judging them.

"Wow, this is great!" Rhodonite said, with a smile, "And you know what's the best part?"

"No one's staring at us." Right Rutile finished for her, brightening.

Lars looked up at Fluorite, who carefully made her way through the crowds of gems and aliens. "Hey, do you want to take the others to look around while I find someone to fix the Nova Thrusters?"

"Of course." Fluorite replied, in that slow, relaxed drawl.

The Off-Colors departed through the crowds while Lars searched the repair shops. He found a large, tall grey gem yelling at a few others about repairs, so perhaps this was someone to talk to. He approached her and noticed she had markings all along her arms and neck. Her eyes were silvery and she had no hair on her head.

"Hey," Lars greeted.

The gem turned and she gave a few sniffles, scrutinizing him. Lars realized how she came up to his shoulders and wore a sign written in Gem. "Uh..." he said, "I'm Lars."

"Basalt." the gem answered, wiping her arms on an apron she was wearing. "What can I do for you?"

"Cool," Lars replied, "Hey, I was looking to repair my ship. Are you the gem to go to for that?"

"Yeah," Basalt studied him curiously, but made no question of his odd appearance, "Let's take a look at her and see what we can do."

Lars brightened. "Awesome."

The two made their way to the Sun Incinerator and Basalt whistled, impressed by the sight of it. She ran a hand across one of the wings before smiling at Lars.

"Ahh, got your hands on a Sun Incinterator, huh?" she said. "I'm going to say this one in particular was the same one stationed on Klavius 7." When she noticed his odd look, she smirked. "We're all pirates here, kid. News from the criminal underworld gets here pretty fast."

Lars laughed. "Well, that's what happens when they leave ships just lying around."

Basalt joined in on his laugh. "Haha, well, you're right. Amazing what they just leave around for us to take." she said, amused.

"So..." Lars began, interested, "Are all the gems here pirates?"

Basalt made her way into the ship with him following. "I guess it's your first time on Paradise Way, huh?"

"Something like that."

"Hm." Basalt didn't push the issue. "Well, let's... Oh, what in the name of the Stars did you do to these Nova Thrusters?!"

Lars winced at the startled look on Basalt's face when she arrived at the base of the ship. "Yeah, that's what needs fixed..."

Basalt groaned, rolled her eyes and stuck her head out of the ship. She yelled down to a few gems in the distance.

"Hey! Topaz! Ruby! Clear my schedule for the day! This one's gonna take a while!"

"Okay!"

Basalt shook her head with dismay. "Stars, I hate it when bad things happen to pretty ships..."

O

"Captain's log. Star date, uh... Monday? Paradise Way is pretty cool." Lars had been working on his logs in the ship that evening. "Getting home is taking forever, but we're safe for now. The Nova Thrusters are being worked on."

The Rutile Twins were wearing elaborate necklaces and Fluorite had gotten a few pieces of jewelry put in her great mane of hair. Padparadscha was quietly humming, holding what looked like a music box in her hand. Lars tilted his head curiously.

"Hey, what's that?" he asked.

"I predict it would be a gift given to me by a Ruby," she explained, "A song once sung by old gems."

Lars furrowed his brow, not sure what that meant. He heard a sound of a clatter, followed by an indignant curse from Basalt outside. He sighed, looked at the others who watched him curiously. They clearly relied on him for an answer.

"She says it could be a day or two," Lars explained.

The gems sighed collectively.

"Well, that's not so bad," Left Rutile said, with a hopeful smile, "This is a great place to rest until the ship gets back up and running."

Lars nodded. "Good. We all need it."

Later that night, the Off-Colors were resting and Lars had fallen asleep beside Fluorite. He could faintly make out the sounds of insects humming outside of the ship. It was strange as he didn't expect Paradise Way to have any kind of Earth-like life. But it was relaxing and reminded him of home a bit.

Through the night sky, a fiery orb screamed overhead before crashing into the distant forest. The sound resonated throughout the colony, drawing gems and aliens alike from their ships and tents to investigate the source.

"What was that?" a Topaz asked.

An alien beside her shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know..."

Lars and the Off-Colors had been awoken as well, drawn from their ship to investigate. Basalt was arguing with two other gems before she noticed them.

"Hey, what's going on?" Lars asked her.

Basalt sighed, throwing her hands in the air. "No one knows. They're telling me someone fired off the defense cannons again, but...nobody tells me anything."

Suddenly, there was a loud, almost piercing roar and everyone looked up. To their horror, the enormous shape of a cannon that had been torn from its mount was sailing through the air.

"Run! RUN!" several voices screamed.

The cannon crashed to the ground as gems and aliens scattered to avoid it. Once the dust settled, they gathered around again, shocked and confused.

"That's the East Defense Cannon!" Basalt gasped.

"Okay, what's going on?" Lars demanded.

Basalt looked at three other gems. "We need to get Crazy Lace," she said, "Tell her what's happening! Get to the cannons!"

Rhodonite began to look uneasy. "Lars, what do we do?" she asked, looking down at him.

Lars thought about it for a moment. He considered the safety of the pirate gems and aliens before turning his attention to Basalt.

"What do you need us to do?" he asked.

O

Crazy Lace Agate was the most decorated gem Lars had ever seen.

Thick, tall and muscular; Crazy Lace was no doubt the leader of the colony of pirates. She had blue-white skin, intricate tattoos on her forearms and a cloak of glimmering silver. Her hair looked to be braided with gold bands.

She really looked like a pirate.

Nearby were three mounted cannons and gems posted at their positions. Lars and the Off-Colors looked around warily at the sight. Rhodonite picked up Padparadscha into her arms and gave a quiet, uneasy whimper.

"Alright, what's knocking on my door?" Crazy Lace yelled. She noticed Lars now and tilted her head. "What in Stars name are you?"

Lars smiled. "I'm Lars of the Stars." he proclaimed.

Crazy Lace raised her eyebrows skeptically, studying him up and down. "Yeah, I see..."

The sound of energy crackling turned everyone's focus toward the woods. The silence that followed was eerie and all held their breath. Basalt was standing on the other side of Lars, squinting into the darkness.

A vast shadow rose, shaped in the familiar form of White Diamond. Lars' eyes widened and the Off-Colors gave several frightened cries, their sounds piercing the silence.

"W-White Diamond!" Lars cried.

THAT turned the gems' attention to him now, disbelief on their faces.

"What? What are you talking about?" Crazy Lace snapped, "White Diamond's never come out this far before! Especially not to a pirate colony!"

The shadowy form's eyes were bright red. A wide, toothy grin stretched out across its face. Basalt squinted with a frown on her face.

"Wait...red eyes?" she whispered.

Crazy Lace looked down at her. "You know who she is?"

Basalt nodded, lips pursed with unease. "I have an idea..."

"Floodlights, now!" Crazy Lace ordered, waving one hand.

Immediately, the entirety of the woods was lit up by the floodlights lining the colony. The bright beams focused on a pale shape bearing the same appearance as White Diamond. She was hunched over somewhat, wielding a frightening scythe, but her eyes were wrong. The gem on her forehead looked wrong. She had bright red pools for eyes, the angular cut of her gem a smoky gray.

"That's not White Diamond," Basalt said, "That's a - "

None of the gems or aliens there seemed to comprehend the severity of the situation. The frightening being standing there grinned and Crazy Lace raised one hand.

"She wants a fight! She's getting one!" she shouted, "Fire!"

Basalt's eyes widened and the Off-Colors shut their ears when the cannons were fired. Round after round whistled through the air toward the malicious entity standing there. She didn't move, even as the blasts made contact around her, billowing the false, yet elegant robes she wore.

One blast from the cannon tore into her body, dispelling her arm into a kaleidoscope of colors.

As the smoke began to settle, the pirates watched with bated breath.

"Did we get her?" A Ruby cried.

"No one can take direct hits from my cannons," Crazy Lace said, with a smile of pride.

"Uh, Crazy Lace?"

The wary tone of an alien had their attention focused on the clearing smoke.

The gem standing there was missing her arm, which crackled with light and color. She tilted her head, grinning widely. It was almost with a wolfish, predatory delight. Sparkling light shot up from her torso before her hand began to reform once again.

"What?!" a jasper cried, frightened now. "That's not possible!"

The gem hissed with macabre glee and raised her scythe. She spun in several circles, charging the weapon with glowing white electricity before bringing the blade down. A surge of raw power funneled from the weapon as it contacted the earth, sending it right for the gems and aliens.

The resulting blast shattered the entire barricade, sent cannons flying and pirates. Fluorite quickly grabbed the other Off-Colors, Lars and Basalt as the force sent them flying through the air.

 _"Lars..."_

The gravely, cruel voice came from somewhere Lars didn't recognize, even moments before he lost conciousness.

O

When Lars awoke, it was to the feeling of Basalt's pats to his cheeks.

"Hey, hey kid," she said, "You still in there?"

The Off-Colors were circled around him and Lars struggled to regain his senses. He groaned and held his head before standing. Basalt helped him up and held out two hands.

"Take it easy," she suggested. "We're down in the escape tunnels. We're fine for now. Your fusion friend got us through that mess."

Fluorite smiled with a murmur in response.

Lars looked around, still dazed. "What... What happened?" he asked, "What was that? That wasn't White Diamond."

"Nope." Basalt told him. "THAT was a Schorl."

Lars blinked rapidly. "A what?"

Basalt sighed through her nose. "A Schorl. You may not know too much about them. They weren't around long before they had to be discontinued. Made by White Diamond herself."

Lars continued to look around; the tunnels were lit with intricate glowing stones of various colors. Still, he could make out the sounds of chaos above and it had him shuddering. The Off-Colors looked equally as frightened.

"Why were they discontinued?" Left Rutile asked, hoping to distract herself from the sounds.

Basalt shrugged her shoulders and looked at them. "Well, they had this way about them that made them unpleasant to deal with. You see, Schorl's were made to help gems combat the things they fear most. They can sometimes take the form of that fear. Unfortunately, this created a stigma of their gem type when in reality, a Schorl is driven to help. Not frighten."

Lars laughed bitingly. "Yeah, she really looked like she wanted to help us..."

"No, this one's different," Basalt continued, frowning thoughtfully, "Schorl's don't take the form of other gems without reason. Unless..." Her eyes widened. "Oh, Stars..."

Lars and the Off-Colors looked at one another, but followed Basalt through the tunnel. Lars wanted answers and tried ignoring the explosions above.

"Basalt, we need to do something!" he insisted. "That Schorl is going to tear the colony apart!"

"This tunnel leads to my workshop," Basalt explained, "I can get us up there. When we do, we'll see what's going on and work from there, okay?"

Lars nodded, uncertain. "Okay..."

O

A few grunts and Basalt managed to get the hatch open. She stepped into the vast workshop where several pirates were hiding away. Scowling, she put her hands on her hips as Lars and the Off-Colors stepped up from below.

"Now I KNOW none of you are planning on making off with my stuff while we have a Schorl tearing up our colony!" she snapped.

"What should we do?" a Ruby cried, holding her head in two hands. "She's going to shatter us all!"

"What does she even want? Why is she here?" a Topaz wondered, warily watching the window.

A few moments of silence passed before the gems looked toward Lars. He stared at each face before he held up two hands when they rose, slowly advancing on him. Immediately, the Off-Colors stepped at his side and Basalt also held out two hands.

"Wait, all of you relax," she ordered.

"Relax?!" Topaz cried, furious, "We had no trouble here until they came along! I heard Schorl say his name. If it's this...Lars she wants, then she can have him!"

Flurorite loomed over them now. "No. We will not let you." she said.

"I don't need a slapped-together pebble collection telling me what I will or won't do!"

Basalt scowled now, thrusting her hands in the air. "Enough!" she snapped. "Now, we're not getting anywhere with this!" She looked at the Topaz. "NO ONE is sending Lars out there to Schorl. Understood? And NO ONE is tucking tail and running because the Diamond Authority knocks down our door."

"We're not?" the Ruby asked, hesitantly.

"No, we're not." Basalt reminded her. "Stars, we defy the Authority and tell those Diamonds every day we're out here what we think of them. We're NOT giving them what they want. Do you understand?"

The gems looked at one another, working it through their heads what Basalt was telling them. But they still seemed reluctant.

"She keeps calling herself White Diamond," the Ruby finally continued, peering out the window.

Basalt looked at her now. "What?"

"White Diamond. If she's not, she really thinks she is."

Basalt looked at Lars gravely and he frowned at her. "Okay, you know something," he said, "What's Schorl's deal?"

Basalt wandered to a shelf lined with various holodisks and recording devices. She ran her fingers over each one, murmuring thoughtfully while the others watched. The Jasper looked annoyed and sighed, thrusting her hands in the air.

"Hey, now's not the time to catch up on your reading!" she snapped.

"Will you please hush?" Basalt said, impatiently. "I think I have - Ah, here it is."

She removed a holodisk and held it up to Lars and the others. "When I repair ships, I sometimes work on a bartering system if my customers can't pay. They give me something of equal value. I got this First Era Prisoner Manifest from a lab technician escaping the war."

"Why?" Rhodonite asked.

"Sometimes you have to keep the past alive somehow..." Basalt replied, with a shrug.

She switched the holodisk on and a display of various gems was scrolled through. She stopped at one; a tall, eerily thin gem in black, hooded robes. Her face was partially hidden, save for a single red eye that stared out through ribbons of black hair.

"This is what a Schorl is supposed to look like," Basalt told them.

Right Rutile frowned. "So why does she look like White Diamond?"

"I have this horrible feeling that the Schorl out there was the same Schorl the technician told me about when she arrived," Basalt continued to explain. "She told me there was a Schorl on this manifest that had been returned to White Diamond for 'further tests'. Those tests - as I was told - were to strip Schorl of her identity."

The reactions in the workshop were a mix of confusion and horror.

"What? What do you mean?" Left Rutile asked.

Basalt scoffed. "What do you think it means?" she said, with a bite in her tone. "We know what she's capable of. We know the lengths the Diamonds - especially her - will go. And this Schorl? She's so lost in her own head, she may not come back from it."

Lars tapped his chin thoughtfully. He began to pace around the workshop. "Okay, I have an idea, but..." He grimaced. "It's REALLY crazy."

"Lars, you're not thinking what I think you're thinking..." Basalt said, frowning.

Padparadscha's hands suddenly went to her face. "Oh, my Stars! All of you, listen! That isn't White Diamond! That's Schorl!"

Lars glanced briefly down at her. "Exactly! I have a way to save both the colony and Schorl."

"Why would you want to save her?" Topaz demanded, "She's - "

"A victim, like all of us," Lars interrupted, "Look, I had a lot of growing up to do. I had someone show me who I had to be. I know that if we don't do something to try and help her, what better are we?"

The Off-Colors looked at each other briefly.

"What do you want us to do?" Fluorite asked.

Lars smiled. "It's me she wants, right? Well, I'll lead her away so you guys can get out of here." he told her. "Then, well..." He took a deep, uneasy inhale. "I'll improvise."

O

Lars carefully made his way outside, mumbling "I'm not afraid of Schorl..." under his breath.

A soft sound, like the chirping of insects in the distance.

"She's a victim like the rest of us..." he murmured, stepping around debris and broken shacks. "I gotta do this. I gotta...not be afraid."

He clutched the holodisk tightly to his chest and looked around for signs of Schorl. He didn't see anyone else, but a few shattered gem shards littered the dirt. Yelping, he tripped to avoid them and fell flat on his face.

In the distance, Schorl's eyes opened and flashed bright red at the sound. She slowly turned, grin wide and malicious.

"Lars..." snarling out his name like a hungry animal.

Rising, Lars looked up just in time to see Schorl approach, pushing several trees out of her way as she walked up to face him. He swallowed thickly, mumbling "I'm not scared" over and over. Schorl looked like an exactly duplicate of White Diamond.

The only difference was the gem color and her eyes.

"Found you!" Schorl hissed, gleefully.

Lars backed away, holding out two hands. "Look, look, listen!" he insisted, "I know... I know White Diamond did this to you - "

"I AM White Diamond!" Schorl snarled out, reaching for him.

Lars yelped and ducked out of her reach. He scattered from her heels and quickly ran deeper into the woods. Schorl turned, smiling with delight. She slowly stalked after him, the ends of her cloak billowing like rattling snake tails.

Meanwhile, the Off-Colors and Basalt were helping lead the remaining aliens and gems toward the docks where the ships had been kept, but were horrified to find them smoking and caught up in flames.

"Stars, what? The ships!" a gem cried.

Crazy Lace was clutching her arm, leaned against Fluorite. "Schorl doesn't intend to let us leave alive..." she groaned. Hissing once, she glanced back at the fusion. "Thank you for...you know..."

Fluorite smiled and nodded. "You're welcome."

The Off-Colors looked back at the woods and Rhodonite moaned, fearful. "What do we do now? Lars is going to be taken away! What do we - "

"Calm yourself, fusion," Basalt interrupted.

"Calm?!" Rhodonite cried, in disbelief. "How can you be so calm when Schorl clearly wants us all dead?!"

"I have a bit of faith in our strange little alien friend. You should do the same."

O

Lars hid behind a tree while Schorl scanned the forest for him. "Lars? Lars, don't hide from me," she purred, her throaty voice chilling. "You know it'll only be worse for you the longer you do."

Swallowing thickly, Lars peered over his shoulder and noticed that the back of Schorl's head had a strange red device attached to it. Frowning curiously, he tried to make sense of what it was; it looked almost like a button.

"Lars..." Schorl called again. "I'm growing impatient, Lars. Do you know what happens when I tire of these games?"

Lars looked down at the holodisk in his hand and pursed his lips. "Alright..." he whispered to himself, "You can do this. Be the hero they need..."

Schorl continued to look around the woods for him. For the moment, he was reminded of what had happened back on Homeworld when White Diamond had been chasing him and Steven. It had taken a long time for him to find courage after that.

Now, he had to find courage once again for more than just the Off-Colors.

Schorl turned when Lars stepped out from behind the tree. She smiled, pleased and turned the scythe in her hands.

"Have you chosen to surrender?" she asked. "Wise boy. I don't imagine you want to bear witness to the shattering of gem life any further."

"No, I don't," Lars told her, taking a shaking breath. "I'm not scared of you."

Schorl laughed somewhat. "Everyone has something they fear, child."

"What do you fear?"

"Nothing. I feel nothing. As it should be. As it will be for all of Homeworld." Schorl told him, "I am a Diamond of my word."

"But you're NOT White Diamond!" Lars insisted. "White - the REAL White Diamond - made you believe that!"

Schorl continued to smile widely. "Such strange things you speak. I am and always have been White Diamond."

Lars dropped the holodisk and it clattered to the ground, activating with the image of Schorl - in her true form. Schorl's eyes fell to the projection and she knelt down, retrieving it in her large hands. Lars warily watched her face; it was blank, studying the image without a single twitch in her expression.

"What's this?" she queried, "Someone else who escaped me, perhaps? Like Rose?"

"No, it's you!" Lars insisted.

Schorl looked at the holographic projection for the longest time. She furrowed her brow and gave a chuckle. "Nonsense. I - "

"It's YOU!" Lars interrupted. "What you're supposed to look like! White Diamond made you believe you were her! But it's wrong! She's wrong!"

Schorl continued to stare at the image. No reaction.

Slowly, her eyes began to widen.

Suddenly, the loud sound of a cannon firing resonated through the air and Schorl took a direct blast to the face. Lars looked over his shoulder with a shocked cry and noticed Crazy Lace crouched not too far away, arm cannon over her shoulder.

"I gotcha, you gem-forsaken monster!" she shouted, gleeful.

"DUDE!" Lars cried, "Are you nuts?!"

Schorl staggered backwards, almost losing her balance completely. Her head was smoking from the direct hit of the cannon. Lars watched her warily and she doubled forward. Spasming uncontrollably, Schorl gurgled and hissed.

The smoke cleared, revealing her face had been horribly disfigured in a terrifying mix of White Diamond and her real face. Lars grimaced at the sight and stepped backwards. She had dropped the holodisk to the ground and it clattered to his feet.

Lars seized when Schorl's lips formed a few soundless words before she gave an earth-shattering scream. Lars turned and ran toward Crazy Lace, taking her arm.

"What are you doing?!" he shouted, "I was getting through to her!"

Crazy Lace laughed angrily. "Yeah, well I got through to her better! I won't have this Homeworld beast tearing up my colo-"

She was cut off when Schorl's shadow loomed over her. Her triumphant smile drained from her face and Lars was knocked aside when Schorl seized the colony leader in her long, thin fingers. Lars gave a cry.

"Crazy Lace!"

The gem was brought up into the face of the twisted abberation and squirmed with every bit of strength she had. Schorl bared her teeth and raised her thumb against the gem's head. Lars quickly looked away when Crazy Lace was dispelled in a poof of blue smoke.

With a fierce grunt, Schorl crushed her hand tighter and Lars' eyes widened at the sight of gem shards raining from her grip.

Schorl lowered herself to his level, eyes flickering about in a disoriented manner. She seemed to focus on the holodisk of her image still displayed. It took a few moments before her form began to flicker wildly.

Groaning, she clutched her head in two hands and Lars watched as she struggled to adapt to her form; a flicker and she was White Diamond. Another flicker and she was Schorl.

White observed the entire scene from her chamber. She smiled, fascinated. "Incredible. You still resist me even at such an advanced stage." She raised her finger toward a red button on her console. "How fascinating indeed..."

O

Schorl screeched, clutching her head as a current of electricity surged through her form. Lars'e eyes widened and he stepped back to narrowly avoid being hit by the bolts of energy. She gave several strained cries, smashed her head into the ground over and over again before dragging her head through the dirt.

Lars watched helplessly, unsure of what to do.

When Schorl rolled to the side, Lars spotted the red button-like device on her neck. Acting quickly, he rushed up and grasped it with two hands. Grunting with effort, he pulled as hard as he could. Electricity crackled around him and Schorl screeched out again.

"...my fault...my fault..." she wailed.

Lars groaned out and yanked as hard as he could, tearing the device from Schorl's neck. She gave a loud gasp and seized moments as Lars tossed the device aside.

"Okay! Okay, I got it off," Lars panted. He rushed to the other side of her. "Are you okay? Hey - "

Schorl was lying still, her face morphing between White and her true face. She seemed to be staring through the human watching her before her form settled - the image she really was.

"S-Schorl?" Lars stammered, carefully.

Schorl mumbled somewhat before her eyes closed. "Th...Thank...you..."

Her eyes closed and in seconds, her form dispelled in a puff of gray-white smoke. Her gem laid at Lars' feet; a gray thing with blots of white stained in it. Lars bent down, picked it up and sighed.

"Sorry. Guess I couldn't help you as much as I wanted to," he told the gem.

Glancing over at the device, he scowled and walked up, kneeling in front of it. White watched him with a mixture of curiosity and amusement from the other side.

"Hey, are you watching, White Diamond?" Lars snapped, "Because I got news for you, you didn't beat us today! You WON'T beat us ever!"

White leaned back in her chair with a sound of pleasure. She touched the tips of her fingers together as she watched the strange little human from her monitors.

"This?" Lars held up the gem in view. "All of these gems you hurt and torture, well, not on my watch! I'm gonna make sure no one else has to be hurt by you again!"

White continued to smile.

"Show's over, Diamond," Lars snapped, standing and stomping on the device, cutting off the connection completely.

White stood up and calmly strolled to another side of her chambers, passing an uneasy pearl. She took a deep breath and ran a finger across a holographic list of several more gems.

She brightened. "Show's over, child? Not so simple, I'm afraid."


	30. Chapter Thirty: Ill Fate

~O~

 **Chapter Thirty: Ill Fate**

Peridot was wandering through Onyx's ship with Lapis and Spinel by her side. Spinel seemed interested in distracting herself with a flashlight and making laser sound effects.

"Spinel, do you remember anything that might be of use to us in our present situation, or will you continue to stand there and make those ridiculous noises?" Peridot snapped.

"Depends." Spinel said, smiling.

Peridot groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Well, there has to be information regarding SOMETHING about White Diamond," she said, scrolling through a few data pads.

"I don't think so," Spinel told her, making shadow puppets with the flashlight. "White Diamond only keeps that kind of stuff to herself."

Peridot frowned, turning to face her. "What?"

"You didn't know?" Spinel asked, looking at her curiously. "Well, when I was sending messages from Pink Diamond, White didn't like anyone to know anything about what she was doing."

Peridot murmured thoughtfully. "You still can't remember the message you were supposed to give her?"

Spinel sighed sadly. "No."

Another sigh. "Alright, well...we can keep looking. There has to be SOMETHING we can find."

"Why don't we ask Onyx?" Spinel suggested.

"I don't trust her, that's why."

"Why not?"

"You CAN'T be that naive, Spinel," Peridot said, with a bite to her voice.

Lapis sighed, turned and faced her. "Do you want to bring this ship to the barn instead?" she asked. "We have the room. We could...stick it through the side."

She made a gesture with her hands.

"Of course." Peridot said, with a smile. "I like it."

Spinel made a face. "No offense, but that sounds dumb."

"Don't educate me, Spinel!" Peridot snapped, pointing at her. "In a test of intellect, I would triumph over you in an instant!"

Spinel opened her mouth to argue, but her words fell short when Lapis interrupted. "So, am I doing this or what?" she asked, raising her hands.

"Yes, we're doing this," Peridot said, clearing her throat.

The two combined their abilities to levitate the ship out of the Kindergarten, toward the barn where they could use it for a later time.

"We should have done this before." Peridot said, dryly.

O

Spinel was still struggling to produce a weapon that afternoon.

She sighed and looked toward Jasper, Pearl and Stevonnie with disappointment. "Maybe I'm just not meant to make a weapon." she said.

Jasper frowned and stood up, approaching her. "You're trying too hard." she said. "You think you can just make a sword or a spear because you want to?"

Spinel thought about it and seemed confused. "Isn't that what we're trying to do?"

"You think you can just close your eyes and make what I make?" Jasper asked, pacing around her. "The problem is, you're trying to be like everyone else, but you're not."

Spinel grimaced and the guilty look on her face was all Jasper needed to know.

"Well, how do you do it?" Spinel asked.

"I use my emotions." Jasper told her. "I push all my anger and all my pain into the pit of my gem and I let it drive me. That's what you do."

Spinel made another face. "Well, I'm not really an angry gem."

Jasper looked at the others, raising her eyebrow before she punched Spinel in the abdomen. The gem gave only the highest of yelps before collapsing. The others winced and Pearl shook her head.

"That's a little extreme, Jasper." she said.

Jasper shrugged her shoulders. "It's the only way I was taught."

She looked down at Spinel now. "Well? Are you angry now?" she asked. "What do you think being a fighter means, Spinel? It's not joking. It's not stupid games. It means you have to be willing - absolutely willing - to stand up and take the hits while still going!"

Spinel smiled, nodding her approval. She seemed stirred by her words. "Okay, okay!" she said, anxiously. "I'll try again!"

Jasper nodded in acknowledgement and backed away so that Spinel could close her eyes. She noticed the gem was in deep focus - which was an unusual change to her behavior - so clearly her words had some form of effect.

Spinel remembered the laughter. The mockery even as she made her appointed rounds. How they'd called her 'stupid'. It wasn't fair and it wasn't right, but she knew that being angry would just make her like them. She didn't have it in her.

There was a glow and Spinel looked down in surprise when her hand began to produce a weapon. She cried out frantically and danced in place.

"Ooh! Ooh! I'm doing it!" she cried. "I'm making a weapon!"

"Focus, Spinel!" Pearl cupped her mouth and yelled to her. "Hold onto it!"

Spinel anxiously focused as hard as she could. The others watched with curiosity, wondering just what Spinel would produce.

A slingshot.

Stevonnie laughed a little when they noticed the slingshot-like weapon appear in Spinel's hands. Jasper wasn't sure how to think of that, but Stevonnie spoke before she could.

"A slingshot. It's definitely you, Spinel." Stevonnie said.

Spinel grinned, delighted. "I...I did it! I made a weapon!"

"That hardly qualifies as - " Pearl had started to argue, but Stevonnie gave her a look that made her smile painfully. "Well, if you're happy with it, Spinel, then it's all you."

Spinel gave an excited sound and danced in place a little before she pulled back the slingshot and pretended to aim it at a statue. Before anyone realized it, a silver and pink ball of energy formed in the cradle of the weapon and launched itself into it, shattering the stone to splinters.

Pearl gave a cry and Jasper laughed her approval.

"Not again!" Pearl yelled, "Stop ruining the ruins!"

The sound of the warp pad activating turned everyone's attention toward it. Onyx was standing there now, observing her surroundings.

"The old Sky Arena," she mused, "It's been some time."

"Hey, Onyx!" Stevonnie greeted, "Did you want to watch us train today?"

Onyx glanced toward Jasper and Pearl. "Are you teaching the messenger to produce a weapon?" she questioned, looking toward Spinel now. "Hm. It's a suitable weapon for a gem of your make, I suppose."

Spinel beamed happily. "Thanks!"

"Wait, I had an idea," Stevonnie suggested. "Onyx, you could show us!"

"Show you?" Onyx looked at them now.

"How to fight!" Stevonnie continued, smiling, "We're strong, but you're one of White Diamond's _strongest_ gems. You can teach us things we'd need to know to fight her!"

Onyx tilted her head. "You intend to fight White Diamond? That is a foolish endeavor and you of all of us should know that."

"Well, maybe," Stevonnie agreed, "But we can't just sit by and wait for her to come to us. We need to be ready."

"Hm. Perhaps so." Onyx said, after a moment of contemplation. "But you must understand; White Diamond is beyond your comprehension. She possesses abilities that not even I can wholly grasp. There is only so much I can teach all of you."

"So teach what you can," Stevonnie put their hand on Onyx's shoulder.

Onyx looked down at the hand on her, then she nodded. "Very well. However, I have one rule."

"Name it."

"You do as I say. No arguments. Understood?"

Stevonnie looked at Jasper and Pearl, who both looked uncertain by the request. After a moment, they sighed collectively and nodded.

O

Onyx stood before Pearl and Jasper.

Spinel was watching with Stevonnie, toying with her own weapon she'd made. Onyx had insisted that she simply watch for the time being until she was properly attuned to her own weapon.

"You two are prepared to train, but you must be prepared for what I teach," Onyx explained, pacing around them. She looked at Jasper. "What drives you in battle, Jasper? What pushes you forward to take conquest?"

"My strength! My unwavering courage!" Jasper declared proudly, "With every victory, I'm fueled by conquest and righteous justice!"

Onyx blinked once. Twice. "I see..."

"What?" Jasper said, frowning at her tone.

"Nothing."

"You had a TONE." Jasper snapped.

Pearl sighed, cast her gaze upwards before she stepped in front of the larger gem. "Jasper, listen," she said, gently, "I know we don't trust her. I know that it's hard, but we have to try. Steven believes she can help us learn something. If she can teach us what she knows from her time with White Diamond, we have a better chance."

Jasper growled lowly. "I don't like it..."

"I don't either, but we should try."

Jasper looked irritated, but didn't argue.

Onyx drew out her twin blades from her gem. She held them up, admired them before she turned her focus once more to the two.

"My weapons. I produced them from the time I emerged," Onyx began. "They are extensions of my very will, products of my soul. There isn't a single surface that isn't perfect."

Pearl leaned to Jasper and spoke surreptitiously. "Humble, isn't she?" she quipped.

Onyx looked toward Pearl and Jasper now, pointing one of the swords at them. "Show me what you can do with yours," she said.

Pearl looked confused. "Excuse me?"

"Come at me. With everything you have." Onyx stood in a perfect stance.

"Seriously?" Pearl produced her spear.

"Seriously."

Pearl and Jasper both lunged for her, weapons shining. Onyx calmly stood, watching them and waiting. Once they were within range of attack, Onyx spun on her heels, blades flashing. Pearl swung her spear, but Onyx caught it with one blade, twisting. She elbowed her back, swept Jasper's heels just as quick and both gems were down.

Onyx shook her head, poised one of her blades at Jasper. "Lesson one: Don't attack in anger." she said, "White Diamond will ALWAYS use your emotions against you. You must learn to master them before you even think to challenge her authority."

"How do we do that?" Pearl said, when Jasper helped her to her feet. "It's not like we can just TAKE our emotions away."

"No. You would need discipline and training; both of which you lack." Onyx explained. Off of their looks, she continued. "I speak only truth. You may have been awarded many victories, but that is only due to your numbers and your peculiar adoration in one another."

She spun her blades a few times and took a step back. "Now, show me again."

And so they charged for her, but every attempt had Onyx subduing them again and again. The pair laid sprawled on the floor of the arena, groaning.

Garnet stepped through the warp pad and noticed the condition of the two gems before Onyx. "I see it's going...well," she said.

Stevonnie waved. "Hi, Garnet!"

"I'm here because there's a corrupted gem that's been sighted near a human village," she told them. "We need to go and stop it."

Onyx looked down at Pearl and Jasper. "We can resume this later," she said. "I will accompany you."

O

A shape surged through the field of corn.

It had white spikes that occasionally poked up from the tops of the stalks. Stevonnie and the others were pursuing the creature, attempting to see it through the corn.

"It's fast!" Stevonnie yelled, "Onyx, can you catch it?"

Onyx had been observing from a hilltop. She could scarcely make out the sight of the corruption rushing toward a nearby river. She jumped, spun through the air and cut her way through the grass. Her charge knocked the gem corruption backwards, sending it into the water with a loud splash.

The corrupted gem was made up of white parts; spines, claws and a set of enormous jaws. No eyes, ribbons of tattered white hair and a whip-like tail. Onyx slowly rose, raising her blades. The others were making their way toward the scene.

"Onyx, be careful!" Stevonnie cried.

"Don't worry. I'll make short work of this creature." Onyx assured them.

She raised her swords and started forward. Swinging one, it was promptly caught in one large, clawed hand. Onyx's eyes widened and she swung the other, which was also caught in the other hand. She swung her legs out, kicking the corruption in the face and was greeted with a flash of memory in her head.

 _A smiling white gem._

Onyx's eyes widened with a strangled gasp of horror.

She kicked the corruption in the face again and the creature recoiled with a cry, clawing at its head several times. The others started forward and Onyx raised one hand.

"No!" she said, her voice shaken. "Don't come near her!"

"Wait. What?" Pearl questioned.

The corrupted gem snarled out, roaring at Onyx with fury in her cry. Onyx stood before the creature, features twisting in anguish. Stevonnie reacted to the sight; they had seen such humanness on Onyx before, yet it was still such a sight they'd never get used to.

Onyx shoved the corruption again, receiving more flashes of memories; sights of her sitting together with the gem who had loved her.

White Zircon.

"This is the price you paid, isn't it?" Onyx told the corrupted gem. "Pulled apart and put back together..." She laughed quietly, shaking her head. "And I helped, didn't I?"

She pointed her sword at the corrupted gem and watched it arch up, hissing with menace.

"Your crime was loving me and..." Onyx shuddered, features filled with raw pain, "...I helped...didn't I?"

Stevonnie stepped forward and put a hand on her shoulder. Onyx looked at them, gasping softly. It was almost as if she'd forgotten the others were still there.

"It's okay," Stevonnie assured her. "We can do it for you, if you want."

Onyx looked at the corrupted gem. The creature had backed up from them, still hissing. Its sounds were mournful now and it seemed to struggle to find words. Pearl looked shocked, Jasper was unable to take her eyes away and Garnet gasped softly.

" _On...yx_...?"

"She's talking!" Stevonnie gasped.

Onyx took another step foward. She reached out with two hands and the others started to argue such an action, the corrupted gem didn't react.

"All this time... All this time I thought of what I would say if I found your shards," Onyx murmured, in the creature's side, "Now? Now there are not enough words in the whole of the universe to properly tell you how sorry I am..."

She shook and began to quietly cry.

"This is why...this is why she takes them away..."

Stevonnie remembered Onyx's words from before when she had spent the night crying beneath the stairs. It was surreal seeing a being who had been known to carry out the most atrocious acts to gemkind express so much emotion. But Stevonnie remembered how she'd been made to do these things and how once she had her gem healed of the process, could feel again.

The corrupted gem started to speak, but the words were unintelligible. Onyx backed away as it recoiled, clutching its head in two hands with a haunting wail.

"Alright, we need to put her to rest," Garnet said. "Onyx?"

Onyx shook again and her voice trembled. "I cannot..." she moaned, "Not again. I cannot do it again."

"It's alright," Garnet assured her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "We'll take care of this."

Onyx watched with tear-soaked eyes as the others surrounded the corrupted gem. They raised their weapons and Stevonnie gave one glance back at Onyx with an apologetic grimace.

The gem shut her eyes and listened to the abrupt silence of the corrupted gem, followed by a form dispelling. Then, a clatter.

She opened her eyes again and stood, just as Garnet formed a bubble around the gem.

It was white, but with bits of shards fused to it; a Zircon that had been broken and forced back together wrong. Onyx took the bubbled gem and cradled it close to her chest.

"She can rest now." Garnet told her. "We'll find a way to fix her. But for now? She can get the rest she needs."

"You!"

They turned, noticing a group of humans approach; they looked angry, gesturing to their damaged crops that had been cut down by the corrupted gem.

"You destroyed our crops!" another human cried.

Onyx furrowed her brow now and started to speak, but Pearl put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Onyx," she said, softly. "Let's just go."

Despite Onyx's confusion to the gems handling the situation, she followed them anyway.

O

Onyx was sitting in the Burning Room, looking up at the bubbled gem in silence. Steven walked inside and sat down beside her.

"Are you okay, Onyx?" he asked.

"I will be." Onyx replied, quietly. "Thank you, Steven."

"You're welcome." Steven looked at the bubbled gem and he sighed sadly. "What was she saying? Before we poofed her?"

Onyx shook her head. "She was corrupted and put together backwards." she told him. "It could have been lost memories playing back in her mind, fragmented ideas, perhaps. I don't know."

"Hm." Steven was silent again, contemplating something.

"I don't understand why you spoke for me. Why you helped me. The humans didn't appreciate your effort, yet you still choose to help them. Why?"

"They need our help, Onyx," Steven reminded her, "Even if they're not happy to see us, they can't protect themselves from corrupted gems or the Diamonds. And maybe when we help them, they'll eventually see that we're the good guys."

"And if they don't?"

"You just keep trying."

Onyx sighed quietly. "And if some sins are too great to fix? And if some are beyond help? What do you do then?"

Steven thought about it for a moment before he patted her hand. "Keep trying."

Onyx blinked, surprised by the response.

"Don't worry, Onyx," Steven assured her. "Everything will be fine."

Onyx was silent. She didn't know if that was true.

"Do you want to sleep?" Steven suggested. "You might feel better."

"I don't sleep."

"That's okay! We can show you!"

Onyx blinked, but was led into the living room where Spinel and Amethyst had begun cuddling on the couch.

"Hey, guys? You want to show Onyx how to sleep?" Steven asked.

Spinel smiled and nodded. "Sure!"

Amethyst frowned hesitantly, but nodded. "Yeah, uh, okay."

Onyx took a seat on the floor and crossed her legs. Steven walked up the stairs to his bed and laid down under the covers.

"Okay, so...just lay down like this," Spinel instructed, lying on her back on the couch.

Onyx blinked once. "I see."

She laid down, flat on her back with her hands crossed over her chest. Spinel smiled and nodded. Above, Steven watched them with relief. Well, at least they were getting along and Onyx seemed to be doing better.

"Then you just relax." Spinel explained. "But you have to close your eyes to get a good night's sleep. Don't try to sleep with one eye open. I tried it. It doesn't work."

Onyx murmured quietly in response. "It's my duty to adapt. I will certainly try."

She took a deep inhale, closed her eyes and it took only moments before she was asleep.

O

Steven awoke to the sounds of voices.

He sat up and noticed Spinel and Amethyst had been watching Onyx; her gem was projecting memories just as Pearl's had.

"Steven, check this out." Amethyst said. She looked troubled.

Steven walked down the stairs and sat on the couch beside the two. Onyx was still sound asleep, but her gem was active from dreaming. There was an image of a Kindergarten through her eyes; it was brilliant, filled with various other gems like her.

"Her memories," Steven murmured, surprised. "Should we be watching this?"

But no one moved to wake her. Instead, they watched the memories play out and were unable to take their eyes away. They occasionally flickered through ribbons of red static, almost as if there was pain associated with it.

The memories were shaky, almost as if being viewed through a camera. Then it focused on White Diamond, observing the sight of the gems below.

 _"There they are,"_ a voice said, out of view, _"The Onyx's are met to perfection, my Most Grand Radiance."_

 _"Ah, good. Good."_ White replied, with a bright smile. _"I am very pleased."_

A crackle of red through the image and White Diamond's feet were suddenly in view; toenails black, glinting in the bright light of the room.

 _"Hm, this one shows promise."_ she mused.

 _"Onyx model 435-cut 7H-A."_ a gem out of frame answered.

 _"Tell me of her count."_

 _"She has shattered one hundred and twenty in under a minute."_

White Diamond made a pleased sound. _"Really? Well, an overachiever. I like that."_

The memory focused on White Diamond's pleased, unsettling grin.

 _"You will do wonderful things in my name, won't you, my Onyx?"_

 _"I will, my Diamond."_ Onyx had finally spoken, but she lacked the emotionless, flat tone in her voice. It was before she had been deprived of it.

 _"Good! That pleases me to hear."_ White looked up at something out of frame. _"Hm, well, I would love to stay, but I have another pressing task."_

There was something different about White Diamond in the memory; she was still unsettling and imposing to those watching, but she wasn't as unhinged as she'd been when Steven had met her.

The memory changed again and they were now looking at a White Zircon watching from behind a window. She was seated at a desk, observing the training and holding a holographic disk of data. She resembled the Zircons from the trial, but she was more volumptuous and her hair was tipped to resemble a black claw.

Occasionally, she gave fleeting glances and a few smiles touched her cheeks as she attempted to busy herself with the data in her hands.

A red haze of static followed and Onyx murmured in her sleep, rolling to her side. Amethyst, Spinel and Steven held their breath, wondering if she'd awake. When she didn't they relaxed and noticed the memory play out with White Zircon talking to Onyx.

 _"She'd be furious if she knew I was out here,"_ White Zircon murmured, with a shy chuckle.

 _"Why are you out here? You know what I am. What I'm to become. We can't have this when I complete the process."_

 _"Yes, I know."_ White Zircon replied, with a sad smile. _"But...it's nice right now."_

 _"When I purge my emotions, it doesn't reflect negatively on you. It's my duty."_

 _"Yes. As is mine. But we can enjoy and hope for change."_

Onyx was quiet for a moment. _"Would it be impudent of me to kiss you?"_

White Zircon looked up at her, startled. Then, she grinned and shook her head. _"If so, then I will be impudent as well."_

She closed her eyes and leaned up, but couldn't seem to quite reach. She gave a laugh when she was picked up to be kissed properly.

Steven looked a bit embarrassed and Spinel smiled, leaning her head on her elbow. "Aww, that's sweet."

Amethyst sighed, but nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Yeah, it really is."

The memory filtered dark red static and crackled loudly, like a television screen gone haywire. Then, it revealed an image of White Zircon kneeling, tears in her eyes.

 _"Now this is the price you pay, Onyx."_ White Diamond said, off-screen. _"This Zircon? Poor dear. She should have left alone. Now she will suffer for your misdeeds."_

 _"I know you don't have a choice, Onyx..."_ White Zircon whispered, so soft it was barely audible, _"It's all right."_

She looked up at the sight of the sword being raised. The hand that clutched it shook.

White Zircon smiled and slowly shut her eyes. She mouthed something that the watchers didn't hear, but they were forced to look away at the sound of a blade whistling, followed by abrupt silence.

Again, the memory changed and revealed the sight of overhead lights. White Diamond's face poked into view and she smiled.

 _"My Onyx. You look quite ready,"_ she told the gem below her. _"You're going to have your emotions stripped. It's quite delightful. I should warn you that the process is quite uncomfortable. But you've endured much worse. The end of it will be liberating."_

 _"A-And, you will wipe my memory as well?"_ Onyx asked, hesitantly.

White chuckled softly, shaking her head and pacing around the room. _"Ah, right. I said I'd do that, didn't I? See, the thing of it is, you don't fully understand the depths of what you've done, do you?"_

 _"I don't understand, my Diamond..."_

 _"No? Hm. You are meant to be my purest, my most flawless,"_ White explained. _"What does it say when one of MY Onyx's goes astray? So no, you will not be stripped of your memories. You will set a permanent example for those who lose their way."_

There was a clicking sound and Onyx struggled. _"No, NO! I did as you asked of me! I don't want to remember this! PLEASE!"_

Hearing her scream and wail in the memory was nothing like her in the present. The sounds could have come from a tormented animal for all they knew. A Gray Star Sapphire loomed over her field of vision with two peculiar prongs in her hand. They were placed on Onyx's temples between her gem.

White raised her hand and her gem began to glow. Onyx continued to shriek protests and pleas, mere moments before there was a flash of light.

Onyx stirred with a small mumble. She blinked and opened her eyes, cutting the memory off. She didn't notice how the others stared at her.

"Mmm, I don't know that I can sleep very well," she said, rubbing her eyes with one hand.

She gave a startled gasp when Steven suddenly hugged her. "Onyx!"

"W-What is this?" she asked, surprised. Her eyes widened when Spinel hugged her as well. "Explain why this is happening to me."

"Onyx, it's so sad!" Spinel told her, between fits of crying.

Onyx blinked. Then made a face. "All of you need to be replaced. Immediately." she muttered.


	31. Chapter Thirty-One: Monster Friend

~O~

 **Chapter Thirty-One: Monster Friend**

Spinel absently kicked a rock down the hill.

Behind her, Garnet was struggling to restrain a tendril thrust out at her from the gaping jaws of an enormous corrupted gem. It resembled a walking eyeball with teeth and tiny spider-like legs.

A punch from Garnet had it sailing through the air over Spinel's head, screeching the entire way. Amethyst gave chase, panting while holding her whip in hand.

"Spinel!" she yelled, over her shoulder. "Come on!"

Spinel nodded, following her. "I'm coming!"

They ran alongside each other - Spinel keeping pace with Amethyst. The shorter gem looked up at her.

"Spinel, throw me." she hissed, grinning with delight.

Spinel grinned right back, grabbed Amethyst's hand. She spun on her heels so fast, she literally blurred into a pink tornado before tossing Amethyst toward the corrupted gem, having shape-shifted into the form of Purple Puma.

She yelled the entire time before slamming her full weight into the corruption, dispelling its form in a poof of violet smoke. Garnet approached them, dusting her hands off just as Amethyst was walking up with the violet gemstone in hand.

"Well done, you two." she said. She looked at Spinel. "Your battle tactics are getting better. You've been training. I'm proud of you."

Spinel beamed with pride. "Thanks, Garnet!"

Amethyst slapped Spinel a high-five. "Dude, we need to come up with more moves!" she told her. "'The Spinning Puma' is awesome, but think of what else we can do!"

The three started to head for the warp pad, but Spinel decided to linger around a bit, picking through the rocks and solidified lava. She hummed a song to herself and Amethyst watched her with a laugh.

"Spinel, come on!" she insisted, "We gotta head back so we can get started on our games."

"I'll be there soon!" Spinel called back. "I promised Steven I'd bring him back a crystal!"

"Alright, just be careful, Spinel." Garnet looked down at Amethyst afterwards. "We should head back. I can play your game."

"Uh, no thanks." Amethyst grimaced. "Last time you played, you punched the TV."

Garnet folded her arms across her chest. "The game did say 'punch your opponent'."

They warped from the location, leaving Spinel alone to search for the crystal she wanted.

O

"Nope."

"No."

"Nope."

Spinel murmured this with every piece of stone and rock she picked up that afternoon. She hadn't been able to find anything perfect enough for Steven and what she thought he'd want.

Her voice occasionally echoed around her in the quiet field of charred trees and blackened earth. The volcano had been dormant for a while, but the area around it had remained untouched.

Spinel furrowed her brow, straightening and putting her hands on her hips. "Hm. Well, maybe I need to rewatch those volcano movies."

Behind her, a small rock suddenly tumbled down the slope of mountain. Spinel paused, worried and turned quickly. She didn't see movement around her quite yet, but there could have been another corrupted gem nearby.

"Okay!" Spinel suddenly yelled, uneasy. "I have a slingshot and I'm not scared to use it!"

No movement or sounds followed. Spinel produced her slingshot and began to pace around for signs of whatever might jump out at her.

Something moved nearby and Spinel jumped with a yelp. She slowly made her way forward and noticed a small opening in the volcano. Curious, Spinel walked up to it and spotted something scurrying within. She peered inside, spotting a small shape with four legs, thick brownish hair and a purple and brown striped form.

A corrupted gem, small like a dog that moved on all fours. She had no eyes, but large jaws with sharp fangs.

She gave a shriek when she saw her. Spinel shrieked in response and recoiled, cringing in preparation for an attack. Only, it didn't come. The corrupted gem only hunched back as far as the opening would allow, whimpering with fright.

Spinel opened one eye, looking down at the corrupted gem with surprise. She tilted her head, watching her press her back against the wall. She glanced at her slingshot, willed it away before she sat down with a small thump. The corrupted gem stopped shaking, sat down in the same manner.

"Don't worry. I won't hurt you." Spinel assured the gem corrupted. She held out two hands, smiling and showing her lack of a weapon. "See? No weapon."

The corrupted gem tilted her head, drool dripping down her jaws. Spinel tilted her head in response.

Then, she laid down onto her belly and the corrupted gem did the same. Spinel grinned, giggling happily. The corrupted gem took a few careful steps toward her, sniffing the air a bit.

She took another step and Spinel brightened. "Are you hungry?"

O

The corrupted gem was being kept in the barn while Spinel brought snacks and food for her to eat. She sat and watched as the gem consumed a bowl of coco-puffs with eager delight.

"You're hungry, huh?" she remarked. "Well, you seem to like those coco-puffs." Her face lit up. "Ooh! Maybe that's what I'll call you!"

She grinned when the gem lifted her head to look up at her. Spinel laughed softly, unwrapping a small candy bar for her to eat.

"Spinel?" Amethyst called from outside.

Spinel gasped, quickly picking up the corrupted gem and hiding her behind her back, mere seconds as Amethyst stepped into the barn. She made an enormous, innocent grin.

"Dude, what are you doing in here?" Amethyst asked. She noticed all of the food and smiled. "So THAT'S where it all went!" She laughed, holding her sides. "You should have seen the look on Pearl's face!"

Spinel chuckled nervously. "Yeah. I bet it was great!"

Amethyst caught the tone and tilted her head. "Hey… What do you have behind your back?"

"Nothing!"

Amethyst raised an eyebrow, skeptical. Just then, the corrupted gem bounced out from behind Spinel. It showed its teeth in a fierce growl, but Spinel jumped up, moments as Amethyst produced her whip.

"Whoa!" she exclaimed. "Coco-Puffs, hold on!"

Amethyst blinked stunned as Spinel embraced her, grinning at the corrupted gem. "Uh, Spinel?" she said.

"See? She's good! Just like me!" Spinel continued to assure the corrupted gem. "Not bad."

Amethyst stared at her quizzically. "Uh, what are you doing with a corrupted gem?"

Spinel shook her head, reaching down to pick up the gem. She gave Amethyst's the biggest, happiest eyes and the other gem willed her whip away. She stared at her in confusion.

"I found her at the volcano," Spinel explained, "She likes me! Watch."

Spinel set Coco-Puffs down and began to walk to the back of the barn. The corrupted gem pattered after her. When Spinel walked back to Amethyst, the gem continued to follow. Amethyst watched the scene with a mixture of concern and amusement. It was true, the gem did seem to take a liking to her.

"Well, I'm glad she does, but I don't know, Spinel…" Amethyst said, making a face. "We tried this before with Steven and it didn't go so well."

Spinel paused, picking the corrupted gem up and placing her on her head. Coco-Puffs laid there, quite content. Her paws stretched in front of her.

"Amethyst, please," Spinel begged, with wide, puppy-dog eyes, "Can we keep her? I promise I'll make sure she doesn't do anything bad."

"That's not what I'm worried about. I don't want it to go how it did with Steven and upset you."

"It won't!"

Amethyst groaned, making a face. "I don't know, Spinel. I mean, if it were up to me, maybe. But you know Pearl and Garnet."

Spinel looked up at the corrupted gem resting on her head. She sighed, disappointed. "Yeah, maybe you're right." she said.

Amethyst read the sadness on her face and brightened a little. "Hey, how about we keep her in our room?" she offered. "Then, we can come up with what to say to Pearl and Garnet later?"

Spinel grinned happily. "Really?"

"Yeah, really."

Amethyst grunted when Spinel hugged her tightly. She laughed and patted her cheek with one hand while Coco-Puffs slid from the messenger's head and in between them.

"You're just lucky you're cute, Spinel." Amethyst joked.

O

Spinel and Amethyst crept through the house toward the door nearest the warp pad. Spinel had Coco-Puffs hiding between her arms. It didn't seem that anyone else was in the house at the moment, so it was perfectly safe for the two to sneak through.

Once Amethyst entered her room, Spinel set Coco-Puffs down and the corrupted gem wandered around the room, sniffing and grunting curiously.

"Wow, look how curious she is!" Spinel said, smiling.

"Yeah." Amethyst agreed, watching the corrupted gem take in her surroundings. "Pretty smart too for…" She trailed off, looking up at Spinel with hesitation. "Well, a… You know."

"She's perfect." Spinel said, walking up and picking the corrupted gem in her arms. "Yeah, she's still corrupted, but what can we do about that right now? We can only like her as she is, right?"

Amethyst laughed, folding her arms across her chest. "Right."

Spinel grinned down at Coco-Puffs. "I can get her more cereal. I'll be right back."

She whistled a cheerful tune to herself, strutting through the doors. Coco-Puffs tried to follow behind her, but the door roared shut, leaving her scratching at it with small whimpers. Amethyst furrowed her brow, approached the corrupted gem and picked her up.

"Hey, don't worry. She's gonna be right back." she said.

The gem squirmed, grunted and hissed out; saliva dripped from her jaws and she screeched loudly, almost a forlorn sound. Amethyst had never seen a corrupted gem act this way before. It was almost as unsettling as the time that Steven had held up the Mirror and revealed that it could speak.

Spinel emerged, holding up a box of cereal. "I'm back!" she announced.

As soon as she was there, Coco-Puffs jumped into her arms and she dropped the cereal with a surprised sound. Laughing, oblivious to the odd look on Amethyst's face; she was just happy to have the corrupted gem snuggling into her neck, chattering in a manner that suggested a certain sentient need.

"Ah! Don't worry, I have food!" Spinel told the corrupted gem, with a grin. "Look! here you go, Coco-Puffs!"

She poured the contents of the box onto the floor so that Coco-Puffs could eagerly gobble it up.

That evening, Amethyst and Spinel laid together with the corrupted gem sound asleep between them. Amethyst watched Spinel, who smiled down at the gem, quite happy.

"She's sleeping. Isn't she cute?" Spinel gushed.

Amethyst nodded. "I'm happy that you're happy, Spinel. But something feels…really weird about this corrupted gem." she pointed out, watching Coco-Puffs.

"Weird?" Spinel looked at her curiously. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I've never seen a corrupted gem take to any of us so quick." Amethyst offered, trying to understand, "Don't you think it's a little weird too?"

Spinel thought about that. Her features were clouded in deep thought for the longest time. Then, she picked up Coco-Puffs in her hands, turning her in her hands for study. She was looking for her gem.

Amethyst sat up and looked at her with concern. "Spinel, are you okay?" she asked.

Spinel ran her fingers through the corrupted gem's thick mane of hair before her eyes widened in shock. She looked at Amethyst and suddenly looked a shade paler.

"I know what gem this is," she gasped.

"What? Well, who was it?" Amethyst asked, anxious. "Dude, tell me. You're freaking me out."

Spinel parted Coco-Puff's mane, revealing a gemstone positioned in the crown of her head. It was shaded a dark violet, but cut distinctly similar to Spinel's gem. To prove it, Spinel held up her palm and lined it beside the corrupted gem's. Amethyst's eyes widened.

"She's a Musgravite." Spinel exclaimed, stunned.

"A…what?" Amethyst asked. She furrowed her brow. "I've never heard of a Musgravite before."

Spinel looked at her, features lighting up slowly. "Musgravite's were our managers. You know how humans have mothers? Well, Musgravites were kind of like that to us."

Amethyst stared down at Coco-Puffs, shocked. "Whoa. What are the odds of you finding her?"

"I don't know."

O

Garnet, Pearl and Steven couldn't stop staring.

Coco-Puffs was growling at them, keeping herself pressed close to Spinel's chest. She wouldn't let a single one near her. Spinel stared at them and managed a broad grin.

"Spinel, you have some explaining to do." Pearl said, frowning. "Like, why is this corrupted gem not bubbled?"

"She's a Musgravite, Pearl!" Spinel insisted.

Garnet visibly reacted. "A Musgravite."

"Yeah!" Spinel looked at her. "Have you heard of her?"

"Yes. Musgravites were the keepers of the spinel gem make. Fiercely protective and yet…very maternal by nature. I've heard of them, but never had the chance to meet one. Spinel's aren't used very often on Homeworld anymore."

Spinel grinned down at Coco-Puffs as she crawled up to her head again, resting there as if it were her favorite perch.

Steven chuckled, approaching and watching the corrupted gem with a smile. "Whoa, so she's like…your mom?"

Spinel nodded, delighted. "Yeah! I thought I'd never see her again! This is really great!"

"Spinel, as sweet as this is…" Pearl began, hesitantly. "We can't very well have a corrupted gem running around. It's not safe."

At that, Coco-Puffs arched her back at Pearl and screeched at her. Spinel picked her up, frowning down at the gem.

"No! No," she scolded, "Pearl is good. She's just being safe."

Pearl cleared her throat delicately. "Yes, well. This proves my point. Steven tried a similar tactic with the Centipeetle, and it didn't work. What makes you think this will be any different?"

Amethyst shook her head. "I don't know, Pearl. I mean, she seems harmless enough."

"Wait, you're actually considering this?" Pearl stared at her in disbelief. Then, she scoffed and shook her head. "What am I saying? Of course YOU are."

Spinel looked up at Garnet pleadingly. "My manager was always taking care of me. Now she needs someone to take care of her!"

"Spinel, you've always wanted a puppy. I don't want you to make a mistake that THIS is a substitute for one." Garnet reminded her. "She's a dangerous gem corrupted that - "

Spinel held Coco-Puffs out to her. "Does she look dangerous to you?"

Garnet stared at the gem. The gem stared back, gurgling quietly. Thin strings of drool dripped down her chin. Garnet huffed out a sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose, all the while Pearl and Amethyst argued in the background.

Steven looked up at Spinel, who pleadingly stared back at Garnet. "Spinel, if you really trust that she's not dangerous, then we should trust you too."

Garnet hesitated before finally nodding. "Alright, Spinel."

Spinel's grin was absolutely oozing with happiness. "REALLY?" she cried, her voice almost a squeal.

Pearl and Amethyst looked back at Garnet in surprise. "Really?" they both said, at the same time.

"Spinel is a member of our team now," Garnet reminded them, "And as a team, we should be able to trust the judgement of each other. If Spinel believes she is of no harm, then we should trust that she's right."

Spinel threw her arms around her in a tight embrace. "Thank you, Garnet!" she cried, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Garnet patted her back with one hand. "Yes, Spinel. But remember that she's your responsibility. If she steps out of line, we have to take care of it. Understood?"

Spinel nodded, giving her another happy grin. "I understand!" She looked down at the gem in her arms, and then to Amethyst. "Come on!"

The pair walked down to the beach and Pearl looked at Garnet skeptically. The fusion stared back down at her.

"It'll be fine, Pearl." she said.

Eventually, Steven joined the gems on the beach and they chased one another, laughing together. Spinel fell face-first into the sand and Coco-Puffs trotted over to lick her face clean of sand grains.

"So, was Musgravite a cool mom?" Steven asked her.

Spinel laughed and nodded, rolling around in the sand before sitting up. "The coolest!"

Amethyst put an arm around Spinel and chuckled, watching the corrupted gem take comfort in her lap.

"Well, she has you, Spinel. So I say she's in good hands." she said.

"You think so?" Spinel asked, looking down at her.

Amethyst smiled and nodded. "Dude. You really have to ask me that?"

Spinel blushed and picked Coco-Puffs up in her arm. "Yeah. I guess that was a dumb question, huh?"

Steven looked down at Coco-Puffs with a curious smile. "Man, I would love to know your mom sometime."

"Maybe one day, we'll all know her." Amethyst offered.

It made Spinel smile to think about it.

O

Coco-Puffs sat on the steps, watching Spinel train that morning. She tilted her head with a small hiss and stretched her paws out in front of her. Spinel was taking aim at targets Jasper had made for her hands. She made a face and looked at the larger gem.

"Are you sure this won't hurt?" she asked.

Jasper nodded firmly. "I can take more than you think. Now go!"

Spinel nodded and a ball of energy formed in the cradle of the slingshot. Jasper begun to move quickly, keeping her hands in the air for Spinel to take aim at. She fired several shots. Two managed to hit the targets in Jasper's hands and a few others grazed her face and hit her forehead.

Spinel's eyes widened and she clasped a hand over her mouth. "Oh! I'm sorry!"

Jasper huffed, rubbing her cheek with one hand. "Hm, that's good." she murmured, impressed.

"Really?" Spinel looked surprised.

"Yeah. Heh, your weapon channels your energy," Jasper informed her. She pointed at her cheek, which had been singed from Spinel's attack. "It's stronger than I thought."

Spinel beamed with pride.

Meanwhile, a ship drifted through the Kindergarten where Onyx's ship once remained. Once it landed, two more onyx's stepped out with their Obsidians. One of them knelt down and ran her fingers across the scratched surfaces of where their lost sister had been.

She stood, running her fingertips together before turning to the other onyx. They both met each other's blank, emotionless gazes and nodded once. Their Obsidians stood nearby, breathing quietly, yet still ragged. The two onyx's made their way up to their Obsidians.

"The Pink Spinel was here," one of them said, "She has been freed. But our sister is here as well. We must find her."

O

Spinel and Coco-Puffs wandered into the flower shop.

The owner frowned at her and gestured down at the corrupted gem. "Excuse me, Miss?" he said, "You can't bring pets into this store."

Spinel looked down at Coco-Puffs before laughing. "She's not a pet. She's a friend."

The owner sighed when Spinel began to scan the rows of flowers. He didn't argue further. He simply watched as the corrupted gem paced around.

"Hmm..." Spinel picked up a bundle of flowers and held the up. "Are these safe to eat?"

He made a face. "I have no idea."

Spinel murmured thoughtfully. "Well, they are pretty. And purple. Just like Amethyst." She looked down at Coco-Puffs. "What do you think? Will she like these?"

Coco-Puffs rubbed against Spinel's leg in response. Spinel beamed happily before she looked at the store owner. "I think that's a yes! I'll take them!"

He nodded and Spinel reached into a pack she had around her waist for a few dollars. She handed them to the owner, took the flowers and walked outside with Coco-Puffs at her side.

"If you were uncorrupted, would you be okay with Amethyst and me?" Spinel asked, looking down at the gem.

Coco-Puffs grunted in response. Her feet patted across the concrete.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm being dumb." Spinel agreed, with a sheepish laugh. "She likes me. I shouldn't worry about anything else. It's just weird. I mean..." She stopped, tilted her head thoughtfully. "I don't know what she sees in a dummy like me."

Coco-Puffs looked up at her, tilting her head with a small gurgle.

Spinel huffed out and laughed. "I know, I keep doing that."

Coco-Puffs and Spinel continued to walk until the corrupted gem froze. She whirled, arched her back and snarled loudly. Spinel paused, frowned down at her.

"Hey! What's wrong?" she asked, worried.

Coco-Puffs snarled louder, mere seconds as something snapped in the air. It circled Spinel's legs and she went down with a loud cry. Looking back in horror, she noticed her legs had been bound in metal, glowing bands. She struggled to get them off and Coco-Puffs tried to rip them with her teeth.

Another bang and the corrupted gem was wrapped up in similar bands around her legs. She shrieked and snapped at them.

"No! No, leave her alone!" Spinel cried, as two shapes jumped down from buildings above.

Her eyes widened in horror when she noticed that they were onyx's. The one on the left resembled the same onyx that had trapped her before.

She began to scoot back as far as she could. "No! No, no, no!" she wailed, "Not you! Not you!"

The only grabbed her tightly by the front of her uniform. "Silence your tongue, Messenger or I will silence you."

Spinel closed her mouth shut with a whimper of fright.

The other onyx looked toward Coco-Puffs, whi still struggled to chew through her bonds. "The corrupted Musgravite serves no purpose. We will leave it."

Spinel struggled and squirmed against the grip of the onyx as she was thrown over her shoulder.

Coco-Puffs managed to chew herself free, mere moments as the two onyx's were already jumping through the air toward their ship drifting in the distance.

She tried to chase after the ship, but it passed out of sight beyond the trees and into the distant sky. Coco-Puffs stopped, gave a few mournful howls before sitting there, lying on her front paws. Moaning quietly, she remained there until she noticed Spinel's waist pack laying nearby.

Coco-Puffs gave a small snort, trotted over to it and took it into her teeth before rushing away to find the others.


	32. Chapter Thirty-Two: Ashes and Ghost

~O~

 **Chapter Thirty-Two: Ashes and Ghost**

Amethyst was walking onto the porch, stretching.

She heard soft growling and looked down, surprised to see Coco-Puffs rushing up the steps, clutching Spinel's bag in her mouth.

"Hey! Coco-Puffs!" she exclaimed, kneeling. "What... Is that Spinel's bag?"

Coco-Puffs dropped it, clawed at it anxiously and tugged at Amethyst's arm. The gem grunted and stood up, trying to hold herself back.

"Whoa, wait!" she said, "Slow down! Where's Spinel?"

Coco-Puffs whimpered and released her, lowering her head and shivering. Amethyst's gaze hardened when she realized something was definitely wrong. She bent down, picked up the bag and looked at Coco-Puffs.

"Coco-Puffs. Where is she?"

Later, she gathered everyone together in the house and placed Spinel's bag on the counter. Jasper furrowed her brow and looked down at the other gem, who was tense and pacing now.

"The corrupted gem had this?" she asked.

"Yeah. I know Spinel said she was going out earlier today." Amethyst said, anxiously. "Do you think someone took her? HOMEWORLD someone?"

"I don't know, Amethyst." Pearl replied, studying the bag. "We can't be too sure unless we know the last place she was."

"Wait, doesn't Onyx know how to track gems?" Steven suggested. "Maybe she can find Spinel!"

Peridot made a face. "Yeah, but the likelihood of her being found is slim. After all, if someone took her, they're long gone by this point."

Onyx entered the house, noticed the condition of everyone inside and furrowed her brow. "Something troubles all of you."

"Onyx!" Amethyst snatched the bag from Pearl's hands and walked up to her. "Spinel was taken. We don't know where she is or who took her. This was her bag. Do you think you can find her?"

Onyx glanced down, took the bag and looked at Coco-Puffs. "Do you understand me?" she asked her, kneeling down. "I want you to take me to where this bag was dropped, yes?"

Coco-Puffs gave a chattering growl, turned and patted out of the house, through the screen door. Onyx followed and Steven and Amethyst did after a moment. Jasper and Pearl eventually followed behind them, but Pearl paused and looked back at Peridot.

"Stay here," she told her. "If she comes back."

Peridot nodded, but looked troubled all at the same time.

O

Coco-Puffs led the group to the place where Spinel had fallen. She sniffed around for a few moments before turning and growling again, drips of saliva puddling at her feet.

"She was here," Onyx said, glancing around.

She walked up to a spot on the concrete, knelt down and ran her fingertips across it. Steven walked up and looked at her with concern. He noticed the way her eyes lit up with a peculiar realization.

"Onyx?" he said, worried. "What is it?"

"She was struck down by energy nets," Onyx told them, standing. She walked forward a few paces and the others followed her. "She crawled here... and then..."

She glanced up toward the sky, to the tips of the trees that were singed from what she knew had been ship engines. Amethyst was anxiously pacing around behind her.

"She was taken by two other onyx's," Onyx explained, "They carried her into their ship and traveled East from here."

The others looked stunned. Jasper's eyes widened, Pearl clasped her hand over her mouth and Amethyst frantically started forward. Steven looked at her as she walked ahead.

"Amethyst, what are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm getting Spinel back!" Amethyst yelled back at him.

"What if they went off-world?" Pearl called after her.

Amethyst stopped and pointed angrily at the sky. "Then I'll turn into a space ship and go after them!"

"Amethyst, think about this," Pearl insisted. "We can't help Spinel if we just run off into space. We don't even - "

Onyx was looking at the trees. She tilted her head. "They wouldn't take her to space," she interrupted. "The messenger would have been taken back to White Diamond's testing facility in the south. She was there originally to be interrogated for her information. That is surely where they'll go again."

"Why would they come all this way just for her?" Jasper snapped. "Seems like a waste of time." Amethyst glared up at her and Jasper snorted, rolling her eyes. "You know what I mean."

"Perhaps the mission wasn't all for the messenger," Onyx mused, "My absence would surely go noticed. Maybe they are here for me as well."

The others were suddenly on guard; one Onyx was difficult enough to defeat, but more?

"What are they going to do to Spinel?" Steven asked, worried.

"The messenger will be taken and interrogated. Should her inability to produce the information continue, they will no doubt forcefully extract them." Onyx explained, drawing horrified gasps from all of them there. "Yes, it's an agonizing process she will certainly not survive it."

Amethyst froze, horrified. "We need to go. We need to go right now."

"I will go. I will retrieve the messenger." Onyx informed them. "If they see you, there will be a fight and none of you can win if the messenger's life is on the line."

Steven shook his head. "But...if you go, White Diamond will shatter you, Onyx. You failed, remember? Your mission?"

Onyx smiled down at him. "Yes, that's right. But I am prepared to accept that outcome."

"What? Why?"

"I am an Onyx. I sacrifice myself to preserve purity. I see now that White Diamond is not the pure being that she has often claimed." Onyx explained. "It's all of you. And I have a new duty, to preserve your existences. And if I must perish for you to live, then so be it."

Jasper reacted with a mild sound of surprise. She thought of how she stood proud for Homeworld's ways, but seeing an Onyx proclaim herself loyal to the Crystal Gems? Did that mean she was right in the choice she had made?

She looked down at Pearl and felt herself placing a hand on her shoulder.

 _The right thing..._

"Onyx, you don't have to..." Steven walked up to her. "We can fight them if we stand together!"

"No." Onyx said, her features filled with sadness now. "I can't."

"Why not?"

"I... I can't." Onyx repeated, quieter now. She blinked rapidly. "I can't fight them. I can't fight my own."

Jasper snorted gruffly. "Why not?" she snapped, sizing her up now. "I've brought down jaspers and amethyst's alike in the war! Are you seriously telling me you - "

"White Diamond programmed it into all of us." Onyx interrupted, raising her chin. "I can rend legions of gems without hesitation. But my own gem sisters? No. That I cannot do."

"Then that's it!" Connie piped up now. "Onyx, that's how we can get in and help Spinel! If they won't attack you, you can hold them off while we sneak inside and help free her."

Steven smiled, nodding his head. "Good idea, Connie!"

And yet, Onyx seemed unsure.

O

Spinek mumbled when she heard the sound of doors roaring open. She opened her eyes and noticed the familiar shapes of the facility she'd been in before with the Crystal Gems. She was being carried on the shoulder of one of the onyx's as they started inside.

"No, no, no..." Spinel groaned, weakly.

She lost conciousness again.

When Spinel awoke once more, she found herself in a room surrounded by a layer of energized glass. She gasped, looked around the darkness, trying to find any signs of life. But she found that she couldn't move. Looking down, she noticed she was being kept on a table with energy bands.

"Whoa, hey!" she cried, "Hey, what's going on?"

The two onyx's stood outside the glass. They regarded her with strange curiosity.

"The messenger has been subdued," one of them said. "We will begin extraction as instructed by White Diamond."

"We must first give her the chance to speak. Such is our order."

"Very well." the onyx who had carried Spinel addressed her. "Messenger! Do you hear us?"

Spinel grunted, struggling against her bonds. "I hear you!" she yelled, "Let me out! I'm not a bad gem! I don't belong in here!"

The other onyx tilted her head. "The messenger has been compromised."

"Indeed. Emotionally compromised."

Spinel blinked, confused. "What do you mean?"

"You function for the Rebellion, yes?" the other onyx questioned.

"My friends? They're just my friends. I don't function for anyone."

The two onyx's slowly looked at each other and Spinel paled at the curiosity on their faces. It scared her because it reminded her too much of White Diamond.

"The messenger speaks strange things," the left onyx said.

"Indeed." the right onyx added. "She believes they've befriended her. But messengers have no friends. Only masters."

Spinel smiled angrily, shaking her head and rebuking their words. "No, no I'm not listening."

"No? They have clearly compromised your will," the right onyx continued. "Such is what they are. Such is what they DO. The more gems culled, the greater their infection of free will spreads. You are one of those unfortunate casualties of their insanity."

Spinel laughed, shaking her head. "Nope, I'm not listening this time." she said, forcing strength in her voice. "I know I'm more than a messenger!" Tears began to fill her eyes and her voice slowly broke. "I know I'm a good gem and I know you just want me to feel bad!"

The left onyx shook her head. "Oh no, little messenger. You haven't begun to feel bad yet. Since you refuse to cooperate and grant us the information we need, we will extract it."

The right onyx glanced down for a moment, then looked over her shoulder and noticed Onyx walking into the chamber. Spinel reacted for a second with a surprised gasp and Onyx surreptitiously waved one finger out of sight behind her while she approached the other two.

She put on an emotionless expression and tone. "My sisters. I knew you would be here." she said.

The two onyx's didn't react, but their eyes darkened somewhat. "Sister, we were concerned." the right one told her. "We were sent to retrieve shards and believed you to be shattered. What became of your Obsidians?"

"They had been taken," Onyx explained, without missing a beat. "An unfortunate matter as it was. But I will inform all of you of the shattering of the remaining Rebellion. The messenger is of no use to us."

"White Diamond was clear that the messenger held something of importance to her. She was to be interrogated at once."

Spinel had been glancing back and forth to each onyx as they spoke. She looked up, shocked to see Amethyst looking down at her through a broken window. A delighted grin lit her lips, but she quickly erased it when Amethyst held one finger to her own lips.

Spinel nodded a few times, showing that she understood. She glanced over at Onyx and the other two, watching as they made their way out of the chamber. Onyx merely waved one finger.

Quickly.

She didn't know what was being said, but Amethyst immediately made her way into the room by sliding down her whip from above. When she landed inside the cell, Spinel brightened happily.

"I told them you'd come!" she said. "They said you wouldn't, but I knew you would."

Amethyst worked to get the bands off of her. "Yeah, dude. I wouldn't leave you." she assured her.

Once Spinel was free, she quickly threw her arms around her. Amethyst smiled, blushed and returned the embrace. Above them, Pearl whispered down.

"Hey! Hurry up, you two! Onyx only has two - "

"Uh, Pearl?" Jasper said.

She looked up and blinked at the sight of four Obsidians looming over them on the roof.

"Oh, Sta - " Pearl began, drawing her spear, mere seconds as she was swatted from the roof by one of the Obsidians.

"Pearl!" Jasper shouted, diving after her.

She caught the smaller gem in the air and the pair began to fuse. Once they formed Carnelian, the fusion slid across the ice for a few more paces before glaring up at the Obsidians with a fierce, leonine roar. The sound reached the onyx's and they looked over their shoulders, just in time to see Amethyst and Spinel escaping through the roof.

One of the onyx's slowly looked toward Onyx and she made no change to her reaction, even when her sister gem drew closer to her, until her nose was barely touching hers.

"Compromised..." she whispered.

Onyx continued to stare at them emotionlessly.

O

Carnelian was in the middle of fighting against the four Obsidians. Amethyst and Spinel were rushing up to her, mere moments as the two onyx's jumped into battle, swords drawn with bright flashes. Onyx was rushing out of the facility, eyes wide in horror.

Carnelian gave another fierce roar, flinging the Obsidians from her. Her features twisted with rage and she looked toward Onyx, who remained frozen where she stood.

"FIGHT!" she shouted. "You don't have to obey her!"

Onyx blinked stunned by the sudden shout.

"You can stand free!" Carnelian continued, fierce in her words, "You can choose to rise above your programming and protect those who need it! Now FIGHT!"

Onyx had known from the time she had emerged what she had to do. But now? Now, she was frozen in place like a frightened, lost pearl.

A haze of red through her vision.

"Pitiful flawed jasper, fusing to a pearl..." one of the onyx's hissed.

"Indeed. I have heard stories of such a jasper. Hungering for fusion, but not the being she fused to." the other added.

Carnelian reacted only for a moment; a very Pearl grimace touched her face, as if she'd been struck.

 _A lie._

The two onyx's dove for Carnelian, but a blur passed through them and their forms were dispelled. Their gems fell into the snow. Another blur and the Obsidians were also dispelled. Carnelian, Amethyst and Spinel watched in shock as Onyx landed before them, her swords drawn.

Her eyes were wide, a shaken, distant look on her face. She stared down at her swords, then dropped them with a frightened gasp.

"Onyx? Onyx, look at me," Carnelian soothed. "It's alright. You did a good thing."

The warp pad activated and Steven was already through it. He quickly embraced Spinel. "Spinel! Are you okay?" he asked, worried, "Did they hurt you?"

Spinel shook her head. "No. They almost did, but Amethyst saved me!"

Steven looked up and noticed Jasper bubbling the onyx's that had fallen. He saw Onyx's condition and quickly hurried to her side. She was turning to go.

"I must return to Homeworld," she told them.

Steven shook his head. "Wait! Why?" he asked, rushing to stop her. "Onyx, you can't go back to Homeworld! White Diamond will shatter you!"

Onyx paused, turned and looked down at him. "She will continue to send gems unless I inform her that you've been shattered. It is my purpose to preserve purity, even if it means I must stand against all that I am."

She started to go, but Steven clutched her arm and it stopped her where she stood. Onyx sighed, shut her eyes and the others watched in stunned silence. Even Jasper had no retort to what was happening. He couldn't believe that Steven could feel such sympathy for one of White Diamond's gems.

"Please, don't go." Steven begged, tearfully now. "She'll hurt you. I know it! She's hurt enough gems. You can stay and we can figure something out."

Onyx blinked once. Twice. Her eyes were wide as she stared down at the boy in surprise. A small smile lit her lips and she chuckled.

"Someone shedding tears for me? Hm. Even after all this time, I can still be surprised." she said, quietly. She raised one hand and placed it on the top of Steven's head. "Do not weep for me, child. Weep for her for she has lost her way and corrupted her purpose. Perhaps you will help her see that one day."

"But - "

"I must go." Onyx told them. "Be happy, in whatever time you have left."

She turned and started to walk back toward White Diamond's facility, where the other onyx's ship remained. She would return to Homeworld and to White Diamond.

One final way to make things right.

O

That night, Pearl was sitting beside Jasper on the couch, leaned against her. Spinel and Amethyst were by the fireplace, also relaxing beneath a large blanket. Steven was sitting at the kitchen table, thinking about what had happened. Garnet leaned against the counter, arms folded across her chest.

"Do you think she'd going to rat us out?" Amethyst asked, quietly.

"No." Jasper said.

They looked at her, surprised by her response. Pearl raised an eyebrow. "How do you know?" she asked.

Jasper shrugged. "I just do. She's not a warrior, but she still lives by a code. 'Protect and preserve purity'. To her, that's what Steven is."

She seemed distracted and Pearl gently rubbed her arm, leaning her head against her once more.

Spinel looked at Amethyst sadly. "I wish I didn't get captured."

"What?" Amethyst looked at her, surprised.

"Then Onyx would still be here."

Amethyst sighed and put a hand on her shoulder. "It's not your fault, Spinel," she told her.

"She just tried to do the right thing," Spinel quietly argued, watching the fire with a sad look.

Coco-Puffs cuddled into her lap and gave a quiet whine. Nothing more was said from the others.

Amethyst didn't know what else to say. She was just glad that Spinel wasn't hurt. Putting her arms around her, she leaned her head against the taller gem and said nothing more.

Later that day, Onyx had returned to Homeworld, making her way through White Diamond's chambers. She was led by two White Topaz's. Onyx had put on a blank expression and walked with the air of perfection she had been trained to do. Now that she had been "fixed" by Steven, she had never noticed just how bleak and flawed White Diamond's domain truly was.

Empty.

Without life.

Just then, White Pearl drifted over to the three, smiling brightly. "Onyx model 435-cut 7H-A. Your presence is required in the testing lab."

Onyx nodded once. She followed White Pearl accordingly to the lab where White Diamond was standing. There were no other gems around to be seen. She seemed to be curiously marveling at something on a table before brightening at the sight of Onyx.

"My dear, special Onyx!" she exclaimed, happy to see her. "Welcome home! I've received news of the loss you had endured. Such a tragedy."

Onyx nodded and bowed. "Such a tragedy can be learned from, my Diamond."

White tilted her head with a thoughtful murmur. "Perhaps..."

Onyx was aware of how...strange the air between them felt all of a sudden. Still, she put on the most convincing emotionless facade that she could. After all, she'd been doing it for so long, it was as normal to her as breathing was to a human being.

"Tell me, did you see Rose Quartz?" White continued. "With the absence of your Obsidians, it must have been quite a challenge, even for you."

"She has been shattered, along with her ilk," Onyx told her. "The Obsidians are without thought, lost to their own wills. They were destroyed, but I proved to be victorious."

White stared at her for a long time, then she chuckled softly and turned, pacing around the room.

"Do you know why I give you all that I am, Onyx?" she questioned, "Other gems merely disappoint me. They cannot achieve what your gem type can. That is why you are made in my image, my very reflection. You were created to kill, to carry out my will without hesitation. And yet, there are those even still who would resist me."

A single claw-like nail tapped on the metal of the table. Onyx watched it emptily, but inside, she knew something was very wrong about the gesture.

"Onyx, where does your loyalty lie?" White suddenly asked, still smiling brightly. "Do you truly answer to me?"

Onyx tilted her head. "My Diamond?"

"You were trained to be my mirror image, but I did not train you to lie to me," White said, slowly stalking toward her, smile thinning just a fraction. "That's why you fail so terribly at it."

Onyx's eyes widened slightly. "My Diamo - "

A single flick of a finger and Onyx's startled look transformed into a weak, pained grimace. Her vision dimmed and swayed mere moments as she fell to her knees. She looked down and noticed her form had begun to crack slowly. Hands shaking, she struggled to hold herself together.

White sighed, shaking her head with pity. "You've been a good and faithful servant, Onyx. But lying to me? When I know exactly what happened while you were on Earth? Pity. You hurt me, my Onyx."

Onyx choked, clawing at her throat as the cracks formed horrible ribbons up the length of her.

"What? In the time you had spent with Rose and her Rebels, did you forget that everything you do is observed by me alone?" White said, smiling broadly at Onyx's horrified gaze. "Poor misbegotten thing. I should have known you'd become compromised. Such a pity I have to 'correct' this matter."

Onyx groaned, shutting her eyes. "Do it. I stand for purity and order. You're none of those things anymore."

White paused, blinking. She looked stunned by the assessment for merely a few seconds before she reached down and took Onyx into her hand. She pressed a thumb to Onyx's head.

"You will be broken, my dear Onyx," she promised, her voice a shrill whisper, "But your suffering? It's just begun. You forget. EVERYTHING. HAS. A. USE."

Onyx was dispelled in a puff of white and silver smoke. White stared at the gem in her palm and she shook her head with disappointment.

"How dangerous free will has truly become," she mused, aloud.


	33. Chapter Thirty-Three: Smoke and Mirrors

~O~

 **Chapter Thirty-Three: Smoke and Mirrors**

Pearl had been distracted.

She thought about the onyx's words before they'd been dispelled, then about what Onyx herself said when she'd been imprisoned by the other gem. The questions she'd asked. Her gaze focused on Spinel and Amethyst; they were up in Steven's room, playing a video game. Laughing. Happy.

"...Oh, you gotta pick up the mushroom!" Amethyst cried.

"Really? What does it do?"

"Makes you BIGGER."

Spinel giggled and mashed on the buttons of the game control. "What about the glowing star?"

"That turns you invincible or something."

Pearl sighed quietly, leaning her head in her hand.

 _"I see that a pearl such as yourself has fused with a jasper. Such a thing is unheard of, but I have witnessed it for my own."_

 _"Gem lovers connecting through fusion. Loving one another. Do you believe Jasper loves you?"_

Pearl didn't want to believe it. She refused to.

She HAD to refuse to.

It wasn't appropriate to think on such things; Onyx had proven to be helpful to them for the short time she'd been on Earth. The other two onyx's had simply said those things to hurt her.

So why did it bother her so much today?

She stepped outside to clear her head a little and found Garnet talking with Jasper. When the larger gem saw her, she grinned and stood in a fighting stance.

"Pearl! Come on! Let's spar!" she said.

Pearl blinked, startled when Jasper took her around the waist, pulling her to her chest. She laughed and the pair began to wrestle around in the sand. Garnet watched the sight with a small smile. Jasper was play growling and Pearl was laughing with delight.

Something bothered her friend, she could see it in Pearl's eyes, despite the joy in them.

"Ah, AH! Jasper, you really ARE a brute!" Pearl laughed, as she was pinned.

"Jasper. Pearl." Garnet said. "Are you ready to train today?"

The two stood and nodded.

"Yes." Pearl told her.

"For your fusion to work, you must be balanced," she explained to them, "If one of you falls apart, then so will your fusion."

Jasper and Pearl looked at each other.

"But we were fine when we fused." Pearl argued.

Garnet shook her head. "You know this well, Pearl." she said. She looked at Jasper. "Jasper. You have to stay focused for both of you. First, we'll need Carnelian."

Jasper and Pearl both stood up, took each other's hands and Garnet watched them disappear in a bright light, melding together before Carnelian stood there, looming over her. Amethyst and Spinel had stepped outside to watch the two. Coco-Puffs was in Spinel's arms, sleeping.

"Now your main weapon seems to rely purely on defense," Garnet continued. "To be honest, I didn't expect that from a fusion with Jasper."

Carnelian gave her a dirty look in response that was very Jasper-ish.

"It's a joke, Jasper." Garnet reminded her. "Now, while we practice, I want you to both find an anchor. Something that can keep you connected."

"What's yours?" Carnelian asked.

"Love."

"Oh." Carnelian chuckled sheepishly, rather abashed. "Of course."

She closed her multiple eyes and took a deep breath, raising her fingertips together. When she opened them again, she was standing in her own fusion realm. It was a room filled with mirrors and dry earth. Each surface shimmered brightly, but was hot to the touch.

She made her way forward, her armor appearing on her body. Just as she was ready to perform another spin, the mirrors began to crack loudly around her.

Carnelian froze, horrified by the sight.

"What is this?" she gasped.

Garnet was standing within their realm, watching the conflict. "Focus!" she called, "Breathe!"

Carnelian backed away, shaking her head in confusion.

"What's going on? Are you okay?" Jasper's half of the fusion asked.

"I don't know!" Pearl mumbled.

Garnet had seen this before with Steven and Connie. She frowned as she watched the struggle. The mirrors began to crack further, shards falling around them. The broken mirror began to form a swirling vortex around them and several images of the onyx's appeared in the reflective surfaces.

"Onyx?" Carnelian gasped.

The false reflections of Onyx stared back at the fusion, narrowing. Every mirror shattered around them, and Carnelian shook her head rapidly before separating into Jasper and Pearl once again. Garnet looked at them, watching as the realm vanished.

"Jasper, you need to stay focused," she said.

"It's not coming from me!" Jasper snapped.

Both gems looked at Pearl. She shifted a little under their stares and frowned. "I've just had a lot on my mind since we faced those onyx's. It's nothing."

"Clearly." Garnet replied. "This is highly unlike you, Pearl. When it comes to fusion, you're the most focused of all of us." She paused once, considering something. "Did Onyx hurt you, Pearl? Is there something she said or did that - "

"No!" Pearl said, quick to interrupt. "No. She didn't hurt me. We just...talked."

Jasper wasn't sure what it was, but the way Pearl was now looking at her... She suddenly felt like she was being scrutinized down to the core of her gem. Pearl sighed, turned to face her completely.

"Onyx was wrong in many circumstances, but she did...raise an interesting point." she said. "And I think I should bring it up now before it interferes with future missions."

Jasper frowned. "What is it?"

"I need to know something, Jasper. Not because of what Onyx had said," Pearl spoke calmly, though her voice was hesitant.

"Uh-oh..." Amethyst said with wide eyes, knowing what was coming up.

"Did you agree to take me as a partner because you felt emotionally connected to me, or was it simply because you wanted to fuse?" Pearl asked.

Jasper was frozen, unable to fathom the question. She wavered a bit before scowling. "That's a stupid question!" she snapped. "Why would you ask me that?"

"It's NOT stupid, Jasper." Pearl snapped back. "I want to know if anything we do from here on out means anything. Or..." Her voice dropped lower. Now she looked disappointed and mildly hurt. "Or if you just see me as another pearl to use."

Jasper struggled to find the right words. She looked at Garnet, Amethyst and Steven once before frowning, holding out two hands.

"I don't know what you..." she began. "I thought... Isn't this how it's done?"

Pearl stared at her, still waiting for an answer.

"I mean, you're stronger than the average pearl..." Jasper grimaced, struggling to find the right words. "And you're not terrible to look at. I mean... Ugh, no, I just..."

Seeing her struggle was hard to watch for the others.

"Is that all you see?" Pearl asked, sadly.

"Jasper." Garnet spoke now, gentle. "What else do you see?"

Jasper wavered again, uncertain. She sputtered out a few half answers before looking at Pearl with conflict in her eyes.

"What else am I supposed to see?" she asked.

Garnet groaned, slapping herself on the forehead. Steven looked shocked and Amethyst winced at the words. Pearl's wide-eyed, shocked stare transformed into a wounded, disappointed look. Finally, she shut her eyes and simply walked away.

O

"'WHAT ELSE AM I SUPPOSED TO SEE'?"

Amethyst had been yelling at Jasper that morning about what she had said. The two Quartz sisters were dumping eggs into the garbage disposal. They were the only ones in the house as the others had gone off to do their own thing.

Jasper tossed an egg into the garbage disposal. She scowled up at her. "I don't hear you coming up with anything better!"

Amethyst shook her head and tossed an egg into the garbage disposal.

"I don't know how this works." Jasper said, annoyed. "I know she's different. She's special from other pearls."

Amethyst raised an eyebrow. "Did you ever tell her that?"

"No. I thought she already KNEW that."

Amethyst sighed, giving her a look. "Sometimes you need to hear it from someone. Especially if it's someone you care about." she explained. "Pearl needs to know how you feel. And you need to know how she feels about you. Work it out."

"How?"

Amethyst made a face. "Maybe we can ask for advice. Last thing we need is Pearl moping around. Ugh, I hate when she gets like that."

Jasper thought about her words. So it was true what she had originally suspected. Pearl seemed to have her share of despairs, given the way Amethyst grimaced.

Then, Jasper looked down with a sigh. She stared at the eggs being deposited in the garbage disposal before looking at Amethyst.

"Why are we putting these eggs down the drain?" she asked.

Amethyst thought about it. Then, she frowned and looked at the empty case for a moment. She shrugged her shoulders.

"Making egg salad." she said.

"Oh."

Meanwhile, Pearl had been pacing back and forth in the barn,talking about what had happened. Lapis was only half listening to her, reading a book entitled "So You're Angry". She glanced up only briefly to Pearl, frowning a little with discontent.

"I mean, do you think I'm wrong?" Pearl asked.

"Yes." Lapis answered.

Pearl really didn't seem ready for the answer, because she looked at Lapis with surprise. The other gem glanced up at her, sensing the odd stare. She shrugged her shoulders, paging through the book in her hands.

"Uh...Yes?" she tried again, using a different tone.

"You're siding with Jasper?" Pearl couldn't believe her ears. Not simply to feel like she was taking sides, but Lapis actually saying it was a surprise.

"It's not a matter of taking sides," Lapis said, annoyed by the thought. "I just know Jasper. And I know she wouldn't just take a pearl for a consort just to fuse."

Pearl seemed confused. "How do you know?"

"I was fused with her for months, Pearl. I know everything she knows and feels. She's never had a stable fusion before. Of COURSE she'd be obsessed with it. And of course she'd want to constantly go to the one she's taken as a lover to feel that closeness."

Pearl looked horrified. "You're right!"

"Honestly, Pearl; I'm surprised you believed the word of a gem about feelings when onyx's feel nothing," Lapis said, a little bored already with the conversation.

"You're right. I wasn't thinking..." Pearl's voice shook out of her like a storm. "I just... I was afraid. I was afraid that maybe her words might have been true. That I was never going to anything more to Jasper than a pearl..."

Lapis furrowed her brow.

Something about Pearl's words bothered her, but she said no more.

O

Steven and Jasper walked down the street and talked about what had happened. Steven was sitting on Jasper's shoulders, sharing ideas about what she should say and how she should talk with Pearl.

"Remember, Pearl likes to know how special she is," he said, "You need to tell her that."

Jasper sighed, glancing upwards at him. "I don't know how." She seemed uncomfortable now and looked down. "I've never had to...deal with these feelings before. I thought everything I was doing was perfect by Homeworld standards."

"That's just it, Jasper." Steven reminded her. "We're not on Homeworld. We all do things differently here on Earth."

Jasper was beginning to see that with each day that passed among them. Everything was different here. Everything was...chaotic. There was no order, no Authority to keep things in check. People were free to do as they wished. Felt what they wished.

She didn't want Pearl to hate her. She didn't want it to end up like how it was with Lapis. Then again, that had been a different circumstance. A desperate one born of weakness and need. She saw that now more than she had seen before.

And Jasper didn't feel for her as she had with Pearl.

She wanted to tell Pearl whatever it was she wanted to hear. But every time she tried, the words always fell short. It was embarrassing and utterly shameful. Pink Diamond had not taught her to shy away when an opportunity for happiness presented itself.

"My dad can help," Steven told her, patting Jasper's shoulder once in encouragement. "He knows a lot about this stuff! And don't worry. Pearl doesn't hate you. In fact, I don't think Pearl can ever really hate anything."

That gave Jasper a little hope.

Steven pointed out his father's business and Jasper's nose curled at the neon elephant displayed on the roof of a small building. The words IT'S A WASH were written on its side. Greg was rinsing down a car on the driveway of the car wash, whistling cheerfully.

"Dad!" Steven said, waving. "Hey, dad!"

Greg turned and smiled. "Hey there, Steven. What's up?" he asked.

Jasper walked up with Steven still sitting on her shoulders. "Jasper's having relationship problems," Steven said, "We thought you could help."

Jasper rolled her eyes. "HE thought you could help." she corrected, setting Steven down beside her.

"Relationship problems, huh?" Greg thought about it. "Hm. Well, I know a thing or two about those."

He laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

Jasper groaned impatiently.

"Alright, so..." Greg began, a little awkward about making suggestions. "So..."

Steven brightened, attempting to ease the discomfort. "Why don't we try writing a song for Pearl? Jasper can sing it!"

Jasper snorted. "Really? Sing? Do I look like a Courtesan to you?"

Steven looked confused. "What's a Courtesan?"

Jasper opened her mouth to answer, and Greg blushed a little, quickly covering Steven's ears with two hands. "Ah, no. No, that's okay," he said. He gave Steven a look. "Not until your older."

O

"Maybe a poem?"

"I hate poems."

The trio sat together in the van and Greg was holding his guitar in hand. Jasper had her legs crossed and her hands shoved in her lap. She shifted a little, uncomfortable.

"Well, okay, a song it is, then." Greg said. "If you don't want to sing it, I can."

Jasper made a half-hearted sound in response.

"Let's see..." Greg played a few notes on his guitar. "If I could begin to be..."

Jasper lifted her head with interest as Greg started to play the song. The human certainly could come up with music so quickly.

Greg brightened and started to sing. "If I could begin to be. Half of what you think of me. I could do about anything...I could even learn how to love."

Steven grinned and smiled up at Jasper, who stared at Greg strangely. He stepped out of the van and continued playing the guitar. The other two watched him, entranced by the lyrics and the way he was singing with such depth.

"When I see the way you act. Wondering when I'm coming back." Greg sang, "I could do about anything. I could even learn how to love. Like you."

He pointed his guitar in Jasper's face and smiled. She managed a weak smile in response.

Greg smiled back and continued to sing. "I always thought I might be bad. Now I'm sure that its true." He grinned when Jasper looked affronted by those lyrics. "'cause I think you're so good. And I'm nothing like you."

Greg sighed, continuing with the song. He seemed to be thinking, delving into memories of his own relationship he had shared with Rose. "Look at you go. I just adore you. I wish that I knew. What makes you think I'm so special..."

Steven's eyes widened and tears filled them. He looked completely struck by his father's song. Jasper looked a little surprised.

"If I could begin to do. Something that does right by you. I would do about anything. I would even learn how to love...

"When I see the way you look. Shaken by how long it took. I could do about anything. I could even learn how to love like you."

He played a few more notes on the guitar before finishing it up with, "Love me like you."

Steven brightened and quickly rushed up to give Greg a hug. "Dad, that was amazing!" he exclaimed, "I love it! I'm sure Pearl will like it too!"

Greg smiled and scratched his head. "Well, I hope so."

Jasper stood up and nodded. "That was...acceptable, human." she said, curtly. Though it was clear that Greg's song had moved her a little.

"Alright, good enough," Greg replied, knowing that was the best he was going to get from her. "Let's find Pearl and give her the best serenade she's ever had!"

While they made their way to the temple, Pearl was spending time alone in her room, balancing herself at the center of the pool. She was trying to find balance and calm and space to herself was something she needed right now.

Something banged on her room door. Pearl grimaced, attempting to ignore it.

A few more bangs and she sighed impatiently.

"Oh! I cannot get a moment's peace in this temple!" she grumbled.

She stepped out of her room, looked around with a frown and stepped forward, ready to berate who she was sure was Amethyst making such noise. Something crunched beneath her foot and Pearl looked down. She had stepped on a piece of paper.

Curious, she bent down and picked it up. The text written on it spelled out the words "Come Outside". Pearl raised an eyebrow before stepping out onto the porch. She looked around for a moment before looking down.

She spotted Greg, Steven and Jasper standing on the beach. Jasper seemed unusually nervous about something.

"Hi, Pearl!" Greg greeted. "We have a song just for you!"

"It was all Jasper's idea!" Steven announced.

Jasper stared at him strangely. "It was?"

"Yes. Just go along with it..." Steven whispered to her.

"Uh, yeah. It was my idea." Jasper said, in a less-than-convincing voice. She smiled up at Pearl. "The human here will perform the song he - I mean I - wrote for you."

Pearl looked surprised for a moment. Then, she smiled, touched by the gesture. "Uh, alright. Let's hear it, then."

Jasper smiled, pleased by the acceptance.

She looked at Greg and Steven. "Go ahead. Play the song."

Greg nodded, cleared his throat and began to play the song that he had earlier. Jasper watched Pearl the entire time. She even gave her a sheepish smile. Pearl looked amazed by the song and smiled, happy and touched.

She made her way down the steps, approached Jasper and put her arms around her. Jasper looked startled by the gesture, but returned it anyway.

When they parted, she looked at Pearl curiously. "You still want to be with me?"

Pearl furrowed her brow, but smiled. "Who said I stopped?"

Steven smiled happily. "Aww!"

The two gems looked back at him skeptically and he grinned.

"Sorry."

Pearl sighed, looking up at Jasper apologetically. "I was wrong, Jasper. I shouldn't have listened to what those onyx's said or even gave them any thought. But... you have to understand too how I feel. How I worry that..."

"That you what?" Jasper wanted to know.

A sigh. Pearl's eyes brimmed a little. "That all you'll see is just another pearl."

Jasper looked surprised by the comment before she snorted. "That's stupid." she snapped, blushing a little. "I've seen other pearls on Homeworld before. They're all nothing to me. What would I want with them when I have you right here?"

Pearl looked amazed to hear her say that. Jasper's eyes widened before she blushed brighter. Her words caught up with her.

"Ugh, don't look at me like that." she growled. "You know what I mean..."

A warm chuckle escaped Pearl's lips. She patted Jasper's chest with one hand. "Okay."

Steven and Greg watched as both gems walked back to the temple together, hand-in-hand. Greg smiled with pride.

"Well, another relationship saved by music!" he said. "I still got it."

O

"A lot changes in war." Jasper said.

Pearl nodded her head in agreement.

"A lot does..."

She stood up and extended her hand to Jasper. The other gem stood up, taking her hand. After a gentle dance between the two of them, they fused into Carnelian. Their fusion realm was the same as it had been when they first experienced it.

Scorching floors, rows of intricate mirrors. The very thing their minds and fusion were made up of. They saw one another as a reflection of themselves. Pearl saw herself in Jasper, and Jasper saw herself in her. Their joining was scorching, hot to the touch. The fusion that they made up of had become all that they were within. A thing laid bare for the world.

Both gems stood in their fusion realm, back-to-back. They witnessed their memories play for one another from the mirrors.

Their minds opened to one another completely.

Jasper stared at the mirrors, watching one of them crack and fill with static. A repressed memory, no doubt. One that even Pearl could not show her. But another mirror appeared before her and she saw a vision of Homeworld. It was an older Homeworld at that, perhaps one that Jasper never thought she'd witness again.

She watched as Pearl walked by Rose's side, her face shielded from view with a veil. Jasper had to admit that despite her current condition, there was something lovely about the jeweled and finely dressed way Pearl appeared.

 _"Let's go, Pearl."_ Rose said. _"We're going to be late."_

A silent nod from Pearl was her only response.

 _"You can speak with me, Pearl."_ Rose said, stopping to look down at her with a sad frown. _"I'm not going to punish you for having words to share."_

Pearl didn't reply. How could she?

It had been a while since Rose had discovered her with the sword. They hadn't spoken much after that. Pearl felt it was better to stay silent.

Another memory appeared before Jasper. This one was fragmented and seemed to play in snippets; broken images and sounds of dialogue that formed what she could only guess was a discussion Rose was having with another Quartz.

 _"You're trying to teach that thing how to fight?"_ the shrill hiss of the Quartz spat. _"This is unheard of! A pearl cannot fight!"_

Pearl's head lowered. She said nothing once again.

Jasper found that she didn't like Pearl this way. Regardless of it being a memory, seeing her driven like a slave was wrong. In every shape and form. She noticed that Pearl in this memory had no spark of life in her eyes. She didn't have that loud, proud stance about her. In the next memory, she was hunched over and recoiling the same way a gem had when a gem of a higher caste had threatened to crush her if she didn't obey.

So, where was Rose in all of this? Wasn't she the gem she was made for? Why didn't she protect her better than this?

Perhaps Jasper wasn't seeing this properly. Maybe Rose had intended for Pearl to understand on her own. Not puppeteer her. Even Jasper could understand that, despite her hatred for Rose Quartz.

On Pearl's end, she saw mirrors revealing memories from Jasper's side of the fusion. She hadn't realized that she had taken Jasper's hand in hers, lacing their fingers together.

She saw images of betrayal in the war.

 _A gem raced toward a drop ship. She had locked down a set of gates and urged another gem to go with her. To escape the war._

 _"We need to go!" she shouted._

 _"But what about the others?" the other gem exclaimed. "We can't leave them back there or they'll die!"_

 _The first gem scoffed. "Forget them. We're not dying tonight!"_

 _"Hey!"_

 _The two gems looked over, spotting Jasper and a topaz struggling to push the door open. Jasper looked furious, struggling to get the gates open._

 _"You little - " Jasper snarled. "Open this gate!"_

 _The drop ship started up and began to take off, moments as Jasper kicked the gate open with her foot. She ran as fast as she could after it, and the topaz could only watch in shock._

 _"Jasper, are you CRAZY?" she exclaimed._

 _Jasper ran like a rampaging Earth bull. She jumped, seconds as the ship almost left its dock. The two gems watched in silent shock as she seized one of the wings of the ship, grunting with effort to hold it from escaping. The desperation and fury in her eyes told them she had no intention of letting a traitor escape._

 _She gave a primal roar and yanked back with all her might, sending the drop ship flying behind her. The other two gems jumped out of the way to avoid being crushed as it was sent bowling end-over-end through the air._

 _It crashed to the ground and Jasper dove quickly, yanking the gem from the ship._

 _The plea for mercy fell on deaf ears as Jasper violently seized her gem, twisted and dispelled her form. She was urged to shatter her right there, but Yellow Diamond would prefer to handle traitors herself. That was how she dispelled her perverse justice._

O

Jasper watched a mirror drift silently to her. It was snared in vines and roses. She saw a memory play out of Pearl walking alone at the place where the battlefield had been swallowed by vegetation and strawberries.

Jasper didn't want to see this.

Pearl wandered aimlessly through the strawberry fields.

She could hear the sounds of nature around her. Feel the air lightly brushing against her cheeks, but she felt hollow. So unbelievably empty.

Rose was gone.

 _"You promised you'd always be with me."_ Pearl mumbled, to no one.

She dropped her spear to the ground, slowly crumbled with it and began to sob in her hands. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

 _"I lost it..."_ she murmured, between hiccups of sorrow. _"I lost it."_

Jasper didn't know what she spoke of, but she felt Pearl's anguish through their fusion. Her anger. Her pain. Everything was laid bare before her.

Pearl, on the other hand, was presented with a mirror. But this mirror was encased in ice. She tried to touch it with her fingers, but the bite from the ice stung her. She knew that this memory must have been a particularly horrible one if Jasper was reluctant to show her.

It was weakness. She felt it immediately that Jasper feared being seen at her most vulnerable.

"Jasper, it's okay." she soothed. "Show me."

She felt hesitation. The mirror didn't move from its position for the longest time. Pearl soothed Jasper with a gentle caress on her arm. After a few moments, the ice cracked around the mirror's edges. Finally, it thawed out just enough to see the reflective surface.

An image of Yellow Diamond.

Oh no.

Not this.

Pearl's features twisted in horror as she watched the memory unfold. She didn't want to see this now. She didn't want to watch Jasper hurt this way. But the memory continued on in fragments. What she saw... She never wanted Jasper to be hurt like that again.

Jasper was lying on the floor with Yellow Diamond looming over her. She lifted her head, tears filling her eyes. The ominous shadow of the Diamond enveloped her.

 _"You will learn respect. And pain will be your teacher."_ Yellow Diamond promised.

She advanced and Jasper's form shook.

A fragment of red haze from the mirror. A small moan.

Jasper screamed.

 _The sound echoed from every corner of the fusion realm._

 _She clawed at her face, threw things in her chamber. Smashed everything in her path. There was a figurine resting on her shelf and she reached up to grab it. She started to throw it, but stopped and brought it close to her chest._

 _"Liar..." she whispered._

Pearl was horrified by the memory. This was not Jasper she had seen on the beach. This was not the cold, calculating warrior she was made to be.

This was a victim.

Another memory. Jasper throwing the figurine into a smelting pool. Her features were cold, devoid of emotion. Pearl wanted to know the significance of the figurine.

"I had made it for Pink Diamond." Jasper spoke nonchalantly. "But she was gone. No reason to keep it any more. It just reminded me of my weakness."

Pearl never knew any jasper to have a skill of creativity. They had been made to break things; like petulant children in some cases. But clearly, her jasper had broken the mold of her own make, just like the other gems who had found themselves serving more than their intended purpose.

After all, defectiveness didn't always show itself on the outside.

But fortunately, Pearl didn't have to see the worst of Jasper's memories. For she was also welcomed by the happiest.

Emerging into sunlight.

To Pink Diamond's smiling, maternal features. She reached out with two hands and Jasper found her way to them. Embraced in the loving arms of her Diamond.

"My sweet Jasper."

Pearl wanted to weep at how happy Jasper looked in the memory. She wanted to give that back to her; let her feel the same joy she had felt with her Diamond.

"I'm sorry."

Jasper looked back at her briefly. She sighed, shutting her eyes.

She couldn't avenge her Diamond. Rose Quartz was gone.

She was left with only the strange little pearl who had grown so fond of her. And she the very same. To love this pearl was an affront to Homeworld's ways.

But Jasper had already been an affront.

The moment she emerged and failed.

But at least she wasn't alone now.

O

Garnet saw Carnelian in the middle of meditation; the enormous fusion was sitting down in the water, her multiple legs crossed. Her fingertips were pressed together, her multiple eyes closed. Her breathing was even, gentle even.

Watching the fusion for a moment, Garnet saw many characteristics of Pearl and Jasper in every gesture. Who would have believed they could have functioned so perfectly as a pair?

Just like the gem's Sapphire and Ruby fitting together so well. Two different gems, made up of love.

She smiled.

O

Pearl and Jasper sat together by the fireplace while the others slept. Pearl was showing Jasper how to paint pictures with her hands.

"...and you just finish it like...this." she said.

"Like that?"

Pearl chuckled. "Yes, good."

The paint had covered their arms and hands. Jasper was generously covered in blues and greens; it was a stark contrast to her usual form. For a moment, she saw a flash of Malachite in her head and it made her smile thin just a little. But when Jasper looked at her painting, she snapped out of her daze.

"What's that?" Jasper asked.

It was a perfect representation of a tiger and a white bird. "Oh!" Pearl looked down at her artwork, "Oh, honestly, I can barely paint a circle."

She chuckled a little and looked at Jasper's work. Jasper's painting didn't consist of anything in particular. She looked like she'd made a bluish-green mess of eyes.

"What is it?" Pearl asked, looking at her curiously.

"I don't know." Jasper replied, with a shrug. "I just painted it."

"Hm."

Jasper looked down at the blue on her hands, then she smirked up at Pearl, a mischievous glint in her stare. Pearl read that look and scooted away.

"Oh no, don't you dare!" she exclaimed.

She gave a squeal when Jasper rubbed a streak of blue paint on her face. She pursed her lips, her face flushed with embarrassment. Jasper grinned, daring her to retaliate with a single stare.

Pearl did just that. She grabbed a handful of orange and slathered it all over Jasper's chest. She scowled up at the gem.

"How do you like it!" she challenged.

Jasper didn't know what happened next, but they were suddenly painting each other in multiple colors of paint, leaving a mess all over the floor and of themselves. Pearl was about to berate Jasper for the childish game, but it was hard to do that when the larger gem put her arms around her and silenced her sounds of protest with a passionate kiss on her lips.

Oh.

OH.

When she parted, Pearl looked dazed from the intensity of Jasper's kiss. She swayed a little, blinking and blushing from it.

"That's hardly fair play, Jasper."

Jasper couldn't help it.

She laughed loudly, mirthfully.

Pearl looked surprised by her loud, pleasured laugh. Then, a grin broke out across her face and she'd started to laugh too.

It felt nice.

Stars knew that they both needed to laugh.

O

 _Note -_ Just to add a little spoiler, yeah I am planning on following canon and making Rose Pink Diamond. Pearl's memories were altered.


	34. Chapter Thirty-Four: Pulse of Rain

~O~

 **Chapter Thirty-Four: Pulse of Rain**

 _"What are you doing now, White?"_

White's hands tapped silently at the keypad before her. She ignored the set of cracked lips beside her ear, whispering to her. The familiar voice of Pink Diamond that she would hear haunting her every step.

Pink appeared to her, sometimes cracked and broken; it was an image that still haunted her after cradling her in her arms one last time. She loathed the image because it reminded her every day of what the Rebellion truly was - an act of evil.

 _"Are you going to ignore me forever?"_ A chuckle. _"Well, you've had practice when I was alive. After all, everything had to be YOUR way."_

White calmly rose, walking down the corridors of her tower. Every screen around her crackled, filtering through static and the background sound of a low, frightening groaning sound. She ignored it, passing the occasional flickering images of Pink's eyes staring at her accusingly.

"My Diamond, it makes me happy to see you've considered talking," the Gray Star Sapphire at her feet said, "Blue and Yellow will be most pleased."

White smiled thinly. "They believe me to be ill. What say you, little Sapphire?"

She glanced down at the smaller gem, who looked uneasy. "I cannot say, my Diamond. A servant of a cause is no master of her own."

"Mm, well said."

They entered a chamber filled with various other Gray Star Sapphires. The one leading White looked at each of them before nodding once. Immediately, they hurried to perform their tasks; closing the curtains of the chamber, preparing an enormous chair for her.

White took a seat eventually and ran her hands across the arm rests. She seemed very content given the circumstances.

"Are you comfortable, my Diamond?" Gray Star Sapphire asked.

"I am. Thank you, Sapphire." White said, continuing to smile that same eerie smile. "Shall we begin? I understand Blue and Yellow want a report of our discussion soon. They feel it will help me."

"Alright." Gray Star Sapphire produced a holographic tablet from her gem. "We will start with questions."

Her hand was shaking a little, rattling the tablet and White noticed it. She chuckled softly and raised an eyebrow.

"Does my presence here make you nervous?" she questioned.

"N-No, my Diamond."

"Hm." White seemed to believe otherwise, but said nothing more on it. She raised one hand to the gem. "Well? Proceed with your questions."

Gray Star Sapphire smiled weakly. "Ah, of course." She looked down at the tablet. "Now these questions may be new to you, as I had received them upon my orders."

"Sapphire," White said, her tone mildly insistent. That eerie grin lingered on her face. " _Begin_."

"Yes, of course. Forgive me."

She took a deep breath and still seemed nervous about something before continuing. "After Pink Diamond had been shattered, you left for your tower upon evacuation of the Earth gems, correct?"

White's fingers clutched the armrests, but her face betrayed nothing. "Correct."

"What emotions did you feel as it happened?"

White blinked once. She glanced to the side, spotting the illusion of Pink Diamond standing there, her form cracked and arms behind her back. She smirked once.

"Sorrow." White said, slowly, "Pain. Agonizing pain. Like watching my world fade away in a blaze of fire. Then..."

 _White smacked the side of her head against the wall once. Twice. The motions were repetitive and echoed loudly through her empty chamber. Her eyes were wide. Unseeing._

 _"White! Stop it! What are you doing?" Blue cried, rushing to stop her._

The Gray Star Sapphire looked at her cautiously. "Then?" she inquired.

White's eyes widened once, then relaxed with a detached aloofness. "Hate." she answered. "Nothing but hate. And then..." She smiled a little and it chilled the room. "Inspiration."

"Inspiration, my Diamond?"

"Inspiration to create Homeworld in the image it was intended to be," White continued, ignoring the static-filled groaning that reflected in monitors around them. "Suffering creates new ideas, new pathways for the future of the rest of us. Many must be sacrificed for the good of future generations. I had learned much from the Rebellion and it has allowed me to understand the errors of their creation."

"I...see." Gray Star Sapphire murmured, uncomfortable with the response. Still, she continued. "I was informed that you spent many cycles in isolation. During the isolated time, you informed Yellow that you could see Pink Diamond. Is this true?"

White's fingers clutched the armrests tighter now. "Yes."

"How often do you see her?"

Long nails dug into the arms of the chair, cracking them somewhat. Yet White's features were still strangely calm.

"Every day." she replied, with an edge.

"I see." Gray Star Sapphire said. She looked at the others watching them warily. "I have received word of you losing three of your prized onyx's. How did that - "

"Two." White interrupted.

Gray Star Sapphire looked up hesitantly and White wiggled two fingers with a smile.

"I don't understand."

"Ah, well, as you know, everything has a use," White informed her, "Whether it was compromised or not, two of my onyx's are lost. One remains useful even after her lies. But that's a story for another day, yes?"

"Of course." Gray Star Sapphire didn't want to know. She tapped her holographic tablet once. "If my Diamond permits it..."

White stared at the others, her hands relaxing somewhat. "Very well. Do as you are made to do."

The gems cautiously approached her, stepping onto a few platforms that floated them up toward her head. They raised their hands and their gems resonated with soft white light. White closed her eyes.

When she opened them again, she was sitting in a room alone.

O

White had been sitting in the room for a while.

She slowly looked around, realizing that this happened often times when she meditated; drifting away into the recesses of her own mind to solve the solutions she couldn't when she was aware of her world around her.

Whispers around her. Unsettling noises to others, but to White, she knew what they were.

 _Lingering thoughts._

She rose, stepped out of the room and into an equally empty corridor. She looked around calmly, seeking the very thing that had haunted her. The Gray Star Sapphires did quite well in their work. Of course, they were products of her design.

She wandered down the corridor, passing the same lines of doors until she began to notice a streal of pink along the wall. Pausing, White looked at it and followed it until she noticed a reflection of herself leaning against the wall, rubbing streaks of pink as far as she could go.

Whispers came from this thing; the robes in ruin. The hair disheveled and out of place. Nothing of this creature was White Diamond.

 _"...it was my fault..."_ the image mumbled. _"...I made her. It was my fault..."_

White's eyes slowly widened and she stepped away, clutching her face with one hand. Static filled her head again and she heard a soft chuckle echo in the corridor.

 _"I made her it was my fault..."_ the image continued to mumble and rub the hideous pink streaks along the wall as it walked forward. _"My fault. All my fault."_

White continued on, the mumbling sounds eventually fading as she searched for answers. She could hear distant crying from one of the rooms and stopped in front of a door. It was covered in scratches.

 _"...Everything beautiful eventually withers..."_

 _"Look what they've done, White."_

White raised one hand and the door opened. She stepped into a room that looked much like her research chamber. She saw another version of herself, sitting on the floor surrounded by destruction; knocking her head against the wall over and over again.

She didn't want to see this again.

 _"Look at you, White. You've become the monster they whisper about in the old tales. Logic no longer drives you, but madness and chaos. You have corrupted your purpose. The Rebellion doesn't have to bring down the Authority. You are already doing that to yourself. Bit by bit, you decay. Bit by bit, the cracks are showing. Then? Then, we will be waiting for you."_

O

Laser weapon fire echoed in the air.

White's eyes snapped open and she noticed the Sapphires around her quickly scattering with frightened cries. They looked at her anxiously.

"My Diamond, rebels are stationed around the building!" one Gray Star Sapphire cried. "We must hurry before they find their way inside."

White looked up, smiling. "Rebels?"

"Yes. We overheard them talking. Apparently, they have been inspired by the rumors of the Crystal Gems making their return," the gem explained, "We must not delay, my Diamond! We must leave at once before you're targeted and shattered."

"Their intent is to shatter me?" White seemed amused by the notion. "They are certainly welcome to try. Come, Sapphire. Let us welcome these new rebels. Let all of Homeworld witness what defiance brings."

She rose and the Sapphire reluctantly followed behind her. White walked outside and noticed a few Quartz guards hiding behind statues. Some of them had already been dispelled and their gems lay uselessly in the dust.

"My Diamond!" one of them cried. "The buildings! Please, take cover before you're attacked!"

Instead, White calmly strolled out into the open, not flinching at all when several shots were made at her feet. A laser shot whistled barely passed her face and her smile widened. Gems around the scene watched with shock. They had always known how formidable White was, but they did not expect her to simply stroll her way out into open laser fire.

White stood in the very center of the courtyard and held her arms out, facing the direction the laser shots had come from. Her smile showed no hint of fear. Instead, she looked delighted and it had the gems hiding for cover so confused and stunned.

There were several gems hiding in a tower. One was a Jasper who clutched a laser cannon with a scope and focused the cross-hairs on White's Diamond's gem. She was smiling and continued to hold that pose. She mouthed words that had the Jasper's eyes narrowing venomously.

 _What's wrong, little rebel? Are you afraid?_

"Afraid?" the Jasper spat. "I'M NOT AFRAID!"

She tossed the laser cannon aside and jumped from the tower. Several gems followed behind her. White leaned her head back with a smile of satisfaction, watching seven gems march toward her with determination and pride.

"Mmm, only seven?" she said, "I must admit, I expected much more."

"There will always be more," a Sapphire told her, firmly. "Always gems willing to defy you and put to rest your order. What you CALL order, anyway. They've been calling you The Mad Diamond. Shattering and twisting gems who don't obey you? What kind of Diamond does those things!?"

White lowered her arms slowly. Her gem began to glow and her words growled out with cruel delight. She did not seem disgusted by the notion of these gems facing her. Instead, she seemed to take great pleasure in it. "The one who will rid Homeworld of this illness. I will cleanse this little act of defiance and set an example for all of us." Fire ignited in the palm of her hands. "As I am made to do yet again."

She produced her scythe in her hands in a glorious blaze of white fire; the gems before her clasped hands, fusing together into a mismatched fusion that stood a head taller than White Diamond.

"Come then." White hissed, grinning widely.

O

The fusion charged for White with a bellowing war cry. The Diamond held her ground until being slammed hard. Her heels scraped back several feet as she restrained the fusion with her scythe to her throat.

"We know Rose did it!" the fusion spat, "We can do it, too! We WILL liberate Homeworld from your madness!"

White chuckled her eyes darkening. "Pity you won't live to see it."

The fusion's secondary arms moved and one fist punched White in the face. The Diamond barely jerked from it at all. She grinned wider, taking blow after blow. The force of those punches did nothing to sway her and the fusion was momentarily perplexed by the sight. She lowered her fist for a fraction of a second and White took her chance.

"There!" she hissed, between breathless laughter, "Ah-hah, there!"

She grasped the fusion's wrist with one hand, heating up her touch that had the fusion howling with pain and rage. She looked down at her hand, eyes widening as crystals formed around it. To be free, she kicked out her legs and it sent her falling backwards, taking the Diamond with her.

White grunted thickly and they scrambled for dominance before the fusion kicked out her legs again, knocking White back from her. Rolling onto her front, the fusion attempted to crawl away, clutching her crystallized arm.

White grabbed the fusion by the back of her neck, dragging her across the ground in an agonizing scraping sound. She grinned wickedly down at the fusion and stopped in front of a statue posing with a sword.

Dragging the fusion toward it, she leveled her head close to the tip of the stone blade, pushing hard toward it. The fusion clenched her teeth with effort, struggling to keep herself away from it. White laughed cruelly.

"Is this it?" she hissed, between strained sounds of effort and amusement, "Even after you've fused and taken those weak little things into your form. Is this TRULY all the power the new Rebellion can muster?"

The fusion gave a fierce shout of rage and pushed back hard enough to throw White from her. The Diamond lost her grip on her scythe and the fusion immediately seized it, swinging the weapon toward the Diamond. White stood still, embracing the fusion with both arms wrapped around her mere moments as the blade embedded itself into her abdomen.

Several gems around the scene gave collected gasps of shock and horror. The fusion stared down at White in disbelief, grimacing when two hands quickly cupped her face. White's face betrayed nothing save for her mouth hanging open for a moment. Then, it stretched up into a wide grin.

"Silly creature, you forget that this weapon is made from me," she purred, "I cannot be harmed by it. But you?" Her fingers pressed harder into the fusion's eyes, drawing a gasp of pain from her lips. Her grin widened viciously. "You will suffer a thousand deaths by my hand."

The fusion gave a shout as she was immediately bombarded with terrible images in her head; flashes of memories belonging to White about Pink's shattering. Suffering from the pain of it. All of her pain had become the fusion's.

"All of it, fusion!" White spat, her gem glowing brighter, "All of her pain! All for you!"

The fusion choked, struggling to pry her hands from her face, but to no avail; White's mental powers ripped through her mind with little effort. She was seeing the memory play in her head over and over again and feeling every bit of emotion that came with it.

She loosened her grip on White's arms and the fight had all but left her. White's gem glowed and the fusion was forced to separate, falling to the ground in a pile of moaning gems.

White's shadow loomed over them.

"You will pay a price for your defiance," she promised, with an eerie grin on her face, "And I will have you set the example for the rest of Homeworld. This is what your drive for freedom brings. This is what hope brings."

"Please..." a Sapphire begged.

"No. You will not be shattered here, my misbegotten ones." White promised. "But I assure you, for the next thousand years, your dearest wish will be that you had."

O

The Gray Star Sapphires had been huddled in the corner of the room and looked up when White entered again. She sighed, shaking her head before taking her seat. Looking toward the gems curiously, she tilted her head.

"Well? Do you intend to resume?" she asked.

The Gray Star Sapphire's hesitated for a moment, but then made their way back to their original places.

"Of course, my Diamond." one of them said.

Much later that evening, White was standing alone in her tower. The Gray Star Sapphire's efforts proved futile. She felt nothing after the discussion and walk through her mind. The static was still there and the haunting image of Pink wandered around the room.

 _"Mm, all problems solved, White?"_ Pink queried, with a chuckle. _"Not quite."_

White blinked rapidly, taking a shaking inhale.

 _"They are right, you know. They sing songs about The Madness of White Diamond,"_ Pink continued, crouched on top of one of White's monitors. _"You're seeing it, aren't you? Today you've taken those Rebels hoping for a better life and twisted them because you could. How many lives are you willing to ruin to ease your pain?"_

White ignored her, making her way to a holographic screen. As soon as her fingers started to press a few symbols, Yellow made her way into her tower.

"White, I just received word of what happened," she said. "What did you do with the self-proclaimed Rebel gems?"

White didn't look back at her. "What do you THINK I did?"

"Mm, I see," Yellow put on an air of calm, "As you do. I am beginning to believe we should hasten the arrival of the Cluster. Put an end to this miserable spectacle once and for all."

"Do what comforts you. I have my own little experiment to perform."

"As I recall the Cluster WAS your experiment. In fact, it was your idea to begin with."

White still refused to look back at her. Instead, her nails began to scrape along the sides of the console. A loud, agonizing noise that chilled the temperature in the room. Yellow stared cautiously down at the hands clawing the console before she sighed.

"Am I to assume the trip to your sapphires went poorly? There are always better ways, White. You know as well as I."

"Really?" White's voice dripped with coldness that dropped the temperature in the room several degrees further.

"Yes." Yellow ignored the tone in her voice. "We can be rid of that memory of Pink's shattering right now. Destroy Earth and everything with it. We can look forward. That is your goal for Homeworld, is it not?"

White considered her words. She shut her eyes at the sound of static and groaning in her head. She turned and smiled brightly. Far too bright in a manner that had Yellow suddenly uncomfortable in her presence.

"Indeed. You are correct, dearest Yellow." she told her. "Homeworld is crumbling worse than I had imagined." She seemed distracted and glanced to the side. "Mm, yes. Much work still to be done."

Yellow made a face. "Very well."

She started to go, but paused in the doorway of White's tower and glanced back at her. White was focused on something else on one of her monitors and she sighed heavily through her nose. The door shut behind her, casting the eldest Diamond into darkness.

 _"White?"_ Pink queried. _"You know the time will come when you must face everything. You will have to let me go. Are you ready to do that?"_

White rubbed her eyes with one hand.

A small chuckle, laced with anguish escaped her lips.

O

Jasper awoke that morning, still lying beside Pearl with an arm draped over her. She glanced down at the slumbering gem and smiled, tapping her gem against Pearl's cheek to wake her a bit. Pearl stirred only the slightest before opening her eyes and smiling at the sight that greeted her.

"We need to wash up." she quipped. "We really made a mess of ourselves."

"I wonder what came over us."

Pearl raised an eyebrow and smiled with amusement. "Really."

Garnet stepped into the living room and noticed them standing. They expected her to react oddly to their painted conditions. Instead, she calmly smiled.

"You two look like Modern Art." she remarked.

Pearl laughed sheepishly, putting an arm around Jasper's. "Well, we did get a bit carried away."

She noticed Garnet staring at her for a while.

"Jasper started it." Pearl said.

Garnet smiled a little at that. "Well, everyone's outside for the beach party. You two should clean yourselves up and join them." She walked away, murmuring to herself. "It's up to me to bring the hot dogs."

Jasper and Pearl murmured curiously at the thought. A party on the beach?

They washed themselves free of the paint that covered their bodies before walking outside. Steven was with many of the humans of Beach City and Greg was cooking on the grill. When he saw them, he waved with the spatula in hand.

"Pearl! Jasper!" he said. "Wow, you two slept clear till noon!"

Pearl murmured with embarrassment and Jasper blushed a little too.

"Well, we're having a grill party." Greg told them, smiling. "There's plenty for you guys!"

Jasper glanced down, noticing the cooking hamburgers. Her mouth watered a little. She could understand why humans liked to eat so much.

Greg slipped the spatula beneath one of the burgers. He placed it onto a bun and set it on a palte. "Well, let's set you up with one of these bad boys."

He offered it to Jasper, who shrugged and began to wolf down the entire burger.

Spinel was excitedly rushing over to the grill. She held up two fingers. "Two burgers please!" she said.

"Two. Coming right up!" Greg told her.

Coco-Puffs paced around the grill, sniffing it. Spinel picked her up and pointed at the crackling embers and cooking meat on the grill.

"I'm gonna set you up with one right now." she told the gem.

Greg tilted his head. "So...how's the integrating going?"

Spinel grimaced. "Not so good." She looked down at Coco-Puffs. "I wonder how Jasper did it."

"Maybe ask her sometime." Greg suggested.

Spinel murmured thoughtfully.

Jasper was chewing on her burger. Behind her, Jenny had thrown a football too hard. It passed over Sour Cream's fingers and ended up smacking Jasper on the back of the head.

It wasn't enough to stun her. It wasn't even enough to budge her - much like throwing a football at a statue. She did pause in chewing and turned, her stare venomous enough to poison a multitude of Diamonds. The humans behind her whispered a collection of 'uh-oh' together.

Onion had been there and merely pointed at Sour Cream.

"It was an accident." he said. He raised two hands. "Toss it back to me?"

Jasper chewed a little, swallowed and picked up the football. Sour Cream smiled, and stood in preparation to catch it.

"Don't hurt yourself." he told her.

Jasper smirked coldly. "Don't worry, human. I won't."

With that, she tossed the football at Sour Cream. He went to catch it, but it struck him with the force of a train and sent him falling to the ground with a pained grunt.

"Ow..." he moaned.

Jasper looked over at Steven and Connie, who seemed interested in splashing around in the water. They were laughing and seemed to be enjoying themselves with the otherwise mundane task. Steven found a shell and held it up to Connie, who was delighted by the offering.

Jasper looked down at a few sea shells that peppered the beach.

"So, Steven..." Connie began. "Do you think we have anything to worry about with these new corruptions?"

They didn't notice Jasper pacing around them, picking up shells, tossing them over her shoulder and muttering 'no' every time she found one she didn't like.

"I think so." Steven told Connie. "But we have each other. And we've never lost a fight yet. If they do show up, we'll be ready."

He looked out, grunting in surprise when Jasper moved beneath him, causing him to end up on her shoulders. She picked up a tiny shell, studied it and huffed with annoyance before tossing it over her shoulder.

"Ow!" Amethyst was heard yelling.

"Jasper?" Steven said, "What are you looking for?"

Jasper picked up an oval-shaped shell. "Nothing."

Steven glanced at Connie and made a face before looking down at her. "So...what are you doing?"

"Ugh. Just..." Jasper grunted with frustration. "Looking for a gift for Pearl."

Steven and Connie smiled and Jasper rolled her eyes at their ridiculous faces. "Stop looking at me like that. I hate when you make those stupid faces."

"Jasper, if you want to give a gift to pearl, why a seashell?" Connie asked.

"Pearls came from shells," Jasper said, picking her way through the sand. "I think. UGH. I don't know. Just be quiet and look around with me."

"Okay!" Steven climbed off of her shoulders.

A drop of rain suddenly fell on his forehead. Steven looked up as it began to drizzle. The other party-goers looked up as well.

"Aww man. Where'd this rain come from?" Sour Cream complained.

Connie looked at Steven. "Well, I should get home." she told him. "My parents wouldn't want me out here in this."

Steven nodded. "Okay. I'll see you later then!"

O

Later that day, rain began to pour harder down onto Beach City. Once the citizens disbanded from the beach and streets, the gems and Greg watched the rainfall from the window of the house. Wind whistled loudly outside and the roof vibrated above.

"It's coming down pretty hard today," Greg said, making a face. "I don't know, you guys. This is looking rough."

Steven quickly rushed up to his dad, panicking. "Dad! There's a storm coming this way!" he cried, "They said it might be a hurricane!"

Greg's eyes widened. "A hurri - We have to board up the house!"

He started to rush around to look for suitable wood.

"Now, now, don't panic." Pearl tried to assure them. "I'm sure we can handle a little wind and rain."

Steven shook his head. "Pearl, you've never seen a hurricane before! They're dangerous!"

Spinel's hand shot up. "I have!"

Then, Steven looked frightened. "We have to get Connie! We need to make sure she's safe!"

Peridot and Lapis made their way into the house. A rush of wind surged inside, scattering anything that wasn't held down to the floor. Shrieks and cries from everyone inside as they struggled to manage their footing.

"CLOSE THE DOOR!" Amethyst yelled. A newspaper slapped her in the face.

Garnet made her way toward the door and grunted, shutting it tight. She turned to Lapis and Peridot, noticing their hair completely disheveled and their uniforms ruffled from the wind.

"I've had enough of this crazy EARTH WEATHER!" Peridot shrieked.

Steven looked at Lapis worriedly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Steven." Lapis assured him.

Lightning flashed across the sky and Steven jumped with a cry - directly into Garnet's arms.

"Power is out everywhere in Beach City," Peridot told them, shaking the water from her hair. "Except for here in this gem temple. Though I shouldn't be surprised. It's not as if gems such as ourselves rely on Earth-based energy sources."

Steven looked shocked. "Really?"

He looked up at Garnet. "We need to help. We need to get to Connie! The temple is above ground. There might be enough room!"

Pearl shook her head. "Oh no! We are not letting all of those humans into the temple!"

Greg held up one finger. "The lighthouse! The lighthouse has stood through thick and thin during every storm that's hit Beach City!"

Pearl exhaled impatiently. "Well that's all fine, but we can't risk Steven's well-being if this hurricane is as terrible as you're telling us."

"But Pearl! They could be hurt!" Steven protested.

"It is our job to protect them..." Garnet said, not quite as thrilled by the idea of humans filling the house. "We should go. And Spinel can cover more ground with her running."

Spinel grinned, nodding. "Yeah, I can help!"

Amethyst looked at her worriedly. "Just be careful, okay?"

"Garnet, that storm could get worse before it gets better!" Pearl insisted, "And Steven could get hurt!"

Steven smiled when Garnet set him down. "Don't worry, Pearl. We can all work together and no storm is going to bring us down!"

He opened the door and a rush of wind once again surged into the house.

O

The wind pushed cars down the street through a small river of water.

Jasper raised her hand over her face, trying to keep leaves and twigs from hitting her. Spinel was surging by them in a streak of pink, carrying as many humans as she could. Amethyst watched her and she chuckled before looking up. Her eyes widened.

"Tree!" Amethyst shouted.

They looked up, eyes widening as a tree was sent screeching across the ground, toward them. They jumped, narrowly missing being taken with it.

"We need to hurry!" Pearl shouted, over the roar of the wind. "It's getting worse!"

Jasper started forward, but paused at the sound of crying. She looked over and noticed a small human child huddled in an alleyway, holding onto a support pillar and crying for her mother. Jasper looked up, hesitated, glanced back at the human with a grimace of uncertainty.

The others were already making their way up the street.

Jasper started to follow, but stopped and cursed under her breath, rushing through the wind toward the human child. When the human saw her, her eyes widened and she gave a small cry of fright. Jasper held out one hand.

"Come on!" she ordered. "We're getting out of here!"

The human smiled, nodded and climbed onto Jasper's back. They started to follow the others. Jasper was vaguely reminded of when she had charged through battle carrying wounded gems on her back.

Now here she was doing the same...with a human.

Pearl looked back and her eyes widened in horror. "Jasper!"

Jasper jumped, seconds before a snapping power cable could reach her. She clutched the corner of a roof and lifted her legs from the river of water, where the cable had landed. The child wrapped her arms tighter around her neck.

"Go!" Jasper called to the others. "We'll catch up!"

Pearl hesitated for a few moments and Jasper winced, giving her a look that assured her that she would be fine.

Finally, Pearl left with the others as they quickly rushed through the storm.

Jasper grunted, jumping from roof to roof with the human clinging tightly to her. The child looked up with a scream as an enormous tree branch was sent flying toward them. Jasper grunted with effort, drew back her fist and punched it into splinters.

"Wow!" the child cried, happy. "You're strong!"

Jasper smiled.

It was strange hearing the praise from a small human. On one hand, she normally would have laughed at a human's admiration for her.

But this felt...different.

She didn't know what to think right now. At the moment, she focused on reaching the temple. So she jumped on, ordering the human to hold on tight.

 _Jasper made her way through the battlefield._

 _She heard a gem sobbing and turned, rounding the corner of a downed drop ship. Her curiosity turned to horror as she spotted a gem standing there amid the shattered remains of another. She was covered in filth from the fall._

 _"Oh no..." the gem sobbed. "I lost her. I lost her. I lost her."_

 _Jasper's features twisted. She approached the gem and shook her shoulder. "Hey, move it." she ordered, trying to not notice the grim sight below her. "We need to keep moving. The Rebels are not far behind us. Let's go."_

 _"I lost her..." the gem continued to mumble. "I lost her... I lost her... I lost her..."_

 _Jasper simply picked the gem up onto her shoulders and ignored the tormented wailing from her. The way she reached desperately for her fallen comrade as they rushed through the battlefield would echo forever in Jasper's mind._

Jasper jumped from a rooftop, but the image was replaced with the sight of a broken gem ship and she gave a shout, falling to the ground with the human shrieking behind her. Luckily, she wasn't hurt and neither was Jasper in the fall.

Jasper mumbled, straightening and shaking her head from the illusion she had just seen. No, now was not the time for her to lose her mind again. A part of her had always wondered if it was remnants of her corruption. Drifting images of torment.

But she pushed them aside, picked up the human child and they made their way through the storm.

O

The citizens of Beach City were made to wait inside the lighthouse. Lapis was using her abilities to keep the water outside and the humans dry. One by one, the Crystal Gems filed their way inside, helping the rest of the humans to seek shelter.

Spinel was holding Coco-Puffs and the corrupted gem's fur fluffed out as she had tried to dry her with a towel. Amethyst laughed and Spinel grinned down at her.

Mayor Dewey was dripping head to toe. He held up calming hands to the unsettled townsfolk.

"Alright, listen!" he said, "I understand that this stom hit us...rather suddenly! But we can band together and wait it out here. This lighthouse has seen hundreds of storms in the past! And held strong! Just like we will!"

Pearl was pacing back and forth in her spot. "Jasper's not back yet." she said, looking at Garnet. "I'm going out to look for her."

"Jasper's fine, Pearl. Have a little faith." Garnet assured her.

The sound of something heavy being thrown against the door turned every head. Jasper emerged once the door was opened by Garnet, carrying the small human tightly in her arms. She spat some water out of her mouth and bits of debris had been stuck into her hair.

Two humans looked shocked; Jasper could only deduce that they were this child's parents. "Eliza!" the woman cried.

Jasper set the child down and she immediately rushed into her parent's arms. Pearl walked up to her, quickly fussing over her hair.

"Jasper!" she exclaimed. "Are you okay?"

Jasper nodded. "I'm fine."

"...I'm fine, mommy! That lady saved me!"

Both gems looked over to the two parents. They noticed how everyone was staring at Jasper now, surprise on their faces. Jasper was suddenly aware of how...odd she felt again.

The parents approached Jasper; the mother looked up at her with a mixture of awe and gratitude.

"You saved my little girl, even though she wasn't yours to save!" the mother said, unable to contain her tears. "Thank you!"

The father smiled and nodded, holding out his hand to shake Jasper's. When the gem didn't do it - clearly unfamiliar with the gesture - Pearl helped her by demonstrating herself and Jasper shook his hand.

"We don't know how we could ever thank you for what you've done." the father told her, his smile bright and relieved.

Steven noticed the attention she was getting and smiled, quickly making his way to her side. "Jasper's great!" he told the townsfolk. "In fact, it was her idea to bring everyone here!"

Mayor Dewey chuckled and approached. "Well, it looks like Beach City is in your debt, Jasper!" he told the bemused gem.

Jasper wasn't sure how to handle the attention and praise she was getting from the humans there. Several of them shook hands with her, others patted her shoulder with approving words. Jasper met Steven's look from across the way and he smiled, flashing her a thumbs up.

To be accepted by humans was something Jasper never thought she'd experience. But they were genuine in their praise, their adoration of her. Unlike the gems of Homeworld who praised her out of fear and reputation, humans did it on their own.

It was strange.

She felt Pearl lean on her shoulder and the other gem smiled up at her.

O

The storm raged on all night.

Humans stayed huddled under blankets and the gems stayed together on their own. Jasper had fallen asleep against Pearl's shoulder. She just watched her with a gentle chuckle, petting her head. Steven leaned over to them.

"Wow, I can't believe she can sleep through a hurricane." he whispered.

Pearl shook her head. "Jasper sleeps better when there's noise around, I noticed." She gently brushed back a bit of hair that had fallen across Jasper's closed eyes. "That's why we have the music box always playing at night."

Steven didn't say anything to that.

"Steven, why did you tell everyone it was Jasper's idea to bring them here?" Pearl asked, quietly.

Steven shrugged. "I just thought it would be nice."

"Nice?"

"Yeah. Jasper can feel like people love her now. Everyone needs that, right?"

Pearl smiled and nodded, reaching for him. Steven snuggled under her other arm. "You're right, Steven." she told him. "Everyone needs that."

Steven looked toward Spinel and Amethyst who had chosen to cuddle together beneath a tarp. Spinel was petting Coco-Puffs with one hand and Steven walked up.

"So, is she doing okay?" he asked.

Spinel murmured, unsure. "I don't know. Can you try and heal her with your spit? Like with Jasper?"

Steven nodded. "Sure thing."

He licked the palm of his hand and placed it on Coco-Puff's gem on the crown of her head. There was no reaction, except for a few sleepy gurgles from the corrupted gem. Steven furrowed his brow, confused by the lack of change. Spinel looked worried and Amethyst was just as concerned.

"Huh. Nothing happened." she said.

"Do you think she's okay?" Spinel looked at the two. "Is she hurt and I can't see it?"

Coco-Puffs yawned, stretched and curled up tighter to her in response. Steven sighed and put a hand on Spinel's shoulder.

"I don't think so," he assured her. "But she might have some deep, emotional thing going on. We just need to be patient. Just like with Jasper."

Spinel nodded. "Yeah. Maybe..."

It was morning once the storm had finally stopped.

Humans and gems funneled out of the lighthouse and looked down at Beach City. The destruction wasn't as terrible as they thought it would be. But they would definitely have a lot of work to do.

"Alright, everyone!" Mayor Dewey said, addressing them all. "I know it LOOKS back from here! But we can work together to have it up and running again!"

A few half-hearted murmurs and sounds of discontent from the humans.

Mr. Fryman gathered his sons together. "Alright kids; let's get the shop cleaned up." he told them. "Looking at it won't get it done faster."

Jasper watched the humans descend the cliff. They started on cleaning up debris, pushing cars and picking up garbage cans. She had to admit that humans working together during destructive events was admirable.

The humans were different in ways more than the obvious. Unlike gems, humans worked together despite their class differences. It seemed that despite this fact, they were a unified species in the end.

"Come on!" Buck grunted, struggling to push a car from the window.

Sadie, Buck and Sour Cream struggled with him.

Then, the car was moved with ease and the humans noticed Jasper pulling it free with one hand. They smiled at her and gave her praise.

"Thanks, Jasper!" Buck told her. "You're one strong lady."

Jasper smiled. Then, she looked around. "Where do you want it?"

"Oh!" Sadie pointed to the street. "Right there is just fine."

Jasper set the car down.

All around her, the humans continued to clean up from the storm. The gems were offering help in any way that they could.

Lapis was working on cleaning water from the damaged buildings, Peridot was studying the damages done and being as less helpful as possible. Amethyst had shape-shifted into a wagon so that it would be easier to pull debris away.

It was unusual for gems to work alongside humans. At least, that was what Jasper had originally thought. Seeing it now and partaking, she could slowly start to understand it.

O

Meanwhile, White sat in her chambers, neck attached with tubes in the ceiling. She caressed the arm rests of her cathedra, watching the many monitors laid out before her.

"My Diamond, it's finished."

White's eyes opened and she looked over her shoulder to the peridot standing there. The gem looked up at her with unease, a holographic screen levitating before her. White smiled and rose.

"That's wonderful to hear, little peridot," she said, with that same flat, computer tone, "Come. Let's show the other Diamonds the fruits of my work."

Walking forward, she was led by the nervous gem to the other two, who waited for her outside of her tower. Yellow frowned and Blue tilted her head.

"What is it you wish to show us, White?" Blue asked.

"Come. Come and see!" the eerie delight on White's face unsettled the two, but they reluctantly followed her anyway.

It had been a little while since White had left her tower, so perhaps this was better than having her in isolation. They made their way to the warp and into one of her vast testing labs. White froze almost immediately when she stepped down the path of stairs.

"White, are you alright?" Yellow asked her.

 _No._ "Yes, I am fine," White said, with a grin that was far too wide. Far too fake. "I am merely pleased to introduce you to a project. I have not been entirely idle."

 _Oh, White. Still at it, I see. You've outdone yourself with this one._

White blinked rapidly, ignoring the shadowy whispers in the back of her mind. The peridot led the three Diamonds down into the domain below.

 _Ignoring me, huh? Well, you've had centuries of practice._

The enormous chamber was filled with thick, green tendrils and several monitors that lit up upon the arrival of the gems. Yellow and Blue looked around the vast chamber and their pearls suddenly seemed very frightened.

"I've worked tirelessly here to create something I believe you may find useful," White told the other two Diamonds. "A little...side project."

She reached up toward a stone pillar among many hanging from the walls. Giving it an almost loving caress, she sighed with pleasure.

"I promised them, you understand," White continued, with a thin, eerie smile, "I promised them I would put them back together again. I'm a Diamond of my word, after all."

She gave a few unsettling, synthetized giggles that had Blue and Yellow suddenly wary by the sound. They wanted to understand the purpose behind the pillars, but something told them that it wasn't good. White was already changing the subject.

"Those Rebels were taken. If they loved fusion so much, I decided to keep them together," she explained, gesturing for them to follow her deeper into the facility. "There were two rebel amethyst's. It took quite a bit of time, but they would not break. It was admirable and...adequate for my present needs."

"What sort of needs?" Yellow asked.

O

The facility was one that Blue and Yellow had never seen before.

It was dark, save for a few dim overhead lights. White followed her pearl down the corridors until they reached a set of double doors. Pushing them open, she stepped into an enormous, empty room. Two rebel amethyst's were standing there, held back by two jaspers.

White gave a small, indicating nod and the jaspers released them, stepping through two doors on the opposite side of the room.

"You can't defeat us, Diamond!" one of the amethyst's spat. "No matter what you do, we will not submit to your authority any longer!"

White chuckled softly. "No, you won't," she said, "Of that, I believe. You are amethyst's, therefore you are harder to bend to my will. Instead, I must choose emotional stimuli to warrant the proper reaction necessary."

One of the amethyst's looked unsettled. "Where are our friends?"

White smiled now. Her eyes darkened a degree and she tapped her fingertips together. "Your friends? Oh, they're doing well! I've had an unfortunate dry spell for the longest time. But they simply came to me with new ideas!"

The amethyst's looked at one another. They seemed unsure of how to react to the question.

"Without consequences to actions, everything becomes chaos," White continued, with a thin grin, "And I am Order." She turned to the other two Diamonds. "Let's watch, shall we?" she said.

The Diamonds walked out of the room and Blue looked cautiously at White. The older Diamond smiled and gestured with one hand to a holographic screen that displayed the room.

The two amethyst's looked around warily before looking at themselves.

The first one placed her hands on her friend's shoulders. "Look at me!" she whispered, "Look, we can get through this. As long as we're together, she can't bring us down."

The second amethyst nodded her head rapidly, frightened. "You're right."

They looked toward the double doors before them as they slowly creaked open. A hiss escaped the shadows and the two gems looked unsettled by the sound.

A long, blue arm reached out of the darkness and into the room. The two amethyst's stood ready for a fight, but when the shape began to enter, their expressions drained into horror. White's voice filled the room now.

"Like you, they didn't think they could be broken either," she said, in a cruel, mechanical drawl, "But...in time, I broke them. And oh, such secrets they shared with me."

An disfigured, enormous shape began to emerge from the shadows. Then a leg.

And another.

And another.

Whip-like strands of hair and teeth.

A series of thick, rattling moans that echoed around the room. The two amethyst's looked shaken by what they were seeing as a shadow loomed over them.

It was a twisted abberation of limbs, teeth, eyes and hands. A cluster of gem shards had been fused to its grotesque face of sharp fangs. It moaned in a collection of various voices, stalking toward the terrified Rebel gems.

White Diamond's unsettling, deep chuckle filled the room, overlapped with the creature's loud, thunderous roar.

O

The Moonstone was brought before White Diamond

One of her gems who had been capable of anticipating prophecies, could perform songs if necessary and solve even the most complex of puzzles.

She was wearing white robes, had long white hair that had been braided and decorated with fine jewels. Her eyes were pale, white orbs that seemed to stare perpetually ahead.

"You called for me, my Diamond." she said, quietly.

"Tell me, Moonstone. What do you see?" White questioned, with a grand wave of her hand.

Moonstone looked down, waving a single finger. "Chaos." she replied, sadly. "But through this chaos, Pink Diamond will make a glorious return to - "

"You are mistaken," White interrupted with an amused laugh. "Pink Diamond has been shattered."

Moonstone paused, tilted her head up at her with a smile of her own. "According to whom?"

White's amusement slowly disappeared from her face.

She had sent Moonstone away and walked deeper into her tower with her pearl drifting silently beside her. She stopped in front of a set of double doors, hesitated and placed her hand over a keypad. Upon entering, she was now standing before a holographic dome that contained shards of pink.

She hadn't stepped in here for a long time.

Whispers of Pink's name echoed in her head.

She approached the dome, dispelled the bubble and took the shards in her hands. She stared at them, raised her other hand and the shards ignited into flames.

White stared at them in shock.

Fake.

They were fake.

She blinked once. Twice.

Then, a giggle escaped her lips and built into a full cackle.

"A game! You've been playing a game with me the whole time, Pink!" White cried, continuing to laugh loudly. She doubled over, leaning against the wall.

Her laugh echoed throughout the tower.


	35. Chapter Thirty-Five: Maternal Heart

This chapter was inspired by "Ashes" by Celine Dion.

~O~

 **Chapter Thirty-Five: Maternal Heart**

Jasper was still spending time searching for a sea shell. She picked her way through the sand with a frustrated sound. Seeking the perfect shell for Pearl was becoming a chore, but now that she set her mind to it, she couldn't give up.

"Hey, sis, what are you doing?" Amethyst was standing there, hand on her hip.

Jasper didn't look up at her. "Nothing."

"So...you're just combing through the sand for your health?" Amethyst joked.

Jasper didn't offer a quip or response this time. Amethyst sighed and approached her. "Seriously, what are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm trying to find a gift for Pearl, if you have to know." Jasper snapped, giving her a look.

"So, you're looking in the sand?" Amethyst didn't understand.

"I'm looking for a shell. Pearl's come from shells and I thought that..." Jasper trailed off at the smile on Amethyst's face. She began to take it more as a joke and scoffed, standing. "Forget it. It was a stupid idea."

"No, it's cute!" Amethyst insisted, stopping her from leaving. "I'll help you look. Pearl's at the Diamond library anyway. We have time."

Jasper nodded. "Good."

They spent the better part of the morning searching for a shell, but every one Jasper found, she disapproved of. It had to be perfect. It had to represent a perfect image of Pearl.

"Jasper! How about THIS one!" Amethyst yelled from the ocean, holding up an enormous clam.

Jasper made a face. "Don't be stupid. That's too big."

"I never heard Pearl complain..." Amethyst quipped, at the corner of her mouth.

"What?" Jasper snapped.

"Nothing!" Amethyst sang, returning to the ocean.

Jasper dug through the sand for a few minutes longer before grinning. She had found the perfect shell. A shimmering opalescent thing. Smooth and fine. A perfect representation of the gem she felt adoration for.

Pearl was sitting and reading a scroll in Pink Diamond's library when she heard the sound of the warp pad. When she saw Jasper approach her, she brightened and held up the scroll.

"Jasper! I had no idea that there were scrolls of ancient fusion dances!" she exclaimed, delighted. "I thought they were destroyed!"

Jasper shook her head. "White Diamond holds no desire for fusion, but she keeps books and scrolls for research purposes."

Pearl smiled happily. "It's amazing! Gem history in the palm of my hands!"

Jasper had her arms behind her back. "Pearl? I, uh, wanted to give you...something."

"Really? Like what?" Pearl looked interested now.

Jasper hesitated. The more she thought about her trifle offering, the more she felt like it was simply a waste of time. Pearl had found Pink Diamond's library. This was just a simple thing she had scoured for in the sand. It suddenly seemed embarrassing.

"Jasper, what is it?" Pearl asked, interested in knowing.

"I...found this for you." Jasper held out the shell.

"Oh. A shell." Pearl raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, it's..." Jasper scratched the back of her neck. "I know pearls are made that way and I thought it... I tried to find the best one, but..." She huffed and looked away. "It's stupid. Forget it."

Pearl took the shell from the palm of her hand. "Jasper, no. It's adorable. Thank you!"

"Really?"

Pearl ran her fingers over the shell's surface. "Because it was given to me by you. I want you to understand that no matter what you give me, big or small, I'll always love it."

Jasper chuckled quietly. "I suppose."

Pearl smiled. "I'll keep it in my room where it'll stay safe."

True to her word, they returned to the temple and Pearl placed the offering on a pedestal by the many waterfalls.

O

 _Why?_

 _Why would you do it, Pink?_

White had been sitting alone, contemplating this revelation. She would certainly not tell Blue and Yellow. No one else could know of it. With this knowledge, the control they had over Homeworld would easily be compromised. It was already on the threat of a new rebellion.

What would she do now?

White shut her eyes, recalling a memory she had of Pink. Her last conversation with her.

 _"You are failing, Pink." White said, staring down at her. "You have proven to me you cannot control your gems. I see that the fault is mine for having spoiled you too much."_

 _Yellow and Blue were silently standing behind her, uncomfortable with the conversation. They hadn't been the most supportive for Pink as White had ordered them to be. Perhaps they should have been more willing to listen to her pleas to stop the harvesting of Earth._

 _Pink's eyes were brimming. She lowered them._

 _"I have tried to be patient and there are gems suffering for it." White said, with a sigh and a rub of her forehead. "I thought it would be different, but it seems I was mistaken."_

 _Pink shut her eyes tightly, listening to White's words of criticism for a few moments before she whispered out. "It won't change..."_

 _"What's that?" White queried, with a chuckle. "Speak up, Pink. You are a Diamond, are you not?"_

 _"You won't change. None of you will." Pink said, sadly. "No matter how many times you claim to love me, to want what's best for me, you can't even see it for yourselves! You're so stuck in your old ways that you'll never see anything else beyond destroying worlds and lives!"_

 _White shook her head. "It's a lovely speech, Starlight. But it will not change what's become of the colony below. The time has come for me to step up and fix this little mess." When she saw Pink's disappointed expression, she tsked and patted her head once. "Oh, don't you worry, now. We will find you another colony!"_

 _"But White - "_

 _"No 'buts', Pink." White interrupted once more. "Now..." She beckoned to the other two Diamonds. "Let's prepare."_

White shut her eyes again.

O

Jasper was alone in the house reading a book.

Connie suddenly came rushing in, clutching her hand and shrieking in pain. It startled Jasper so much, she jumped to her feet and frowned.

"What in the name of the Diamonds are you screaming about?" she demanded.

Connie rushed around and Jasper noticed that she was holding a towel that she had wrapped her hand with. She looked like she was going to cry.

"Where's Steven?" she cried, "Where is he?"

"He's with the others on a mission," Jasper approached her, frowning. "What's going - What did you do? Let me see it!"

Connie couldn't protest as Jasper had already pulled the towel away. She was stunned to see that Connie had cut the palm of her hand. She quickly covered it back up and without speaking, urged the human to the sink and began to run her hand over the water.

Connie cried out again in pain when the water touched her open cut.

"What happened? What did you do to yourself?" Jasper demanded, staring at her in disbelief.

"I was..." Connie hissed sharply, forgetting the pain in place of how odd it was that Jasper was helping her. "I was working on my science project outside and I cut my hand on a piece of the aluminum I was using. Ah! It hurts!"

"Of course it hurts, idiot. You cut yourself deep." Jasper scoffed, reaching up with one hand and searching for things in the counters.

"Hold still." Jasper ordered, taking a bottle of alcohol.

When she poured it on Connie's wound, the human gave a wail of agony and tried to wrench away, but Jasper had her arm wrapped around Connie's hand, leaving it impossible. Jasper was indifferent to her sounds and continued washing the wound.

Connie continued to whimper, but Jasper searched for bandages. Instead she found gauze and began to wrap it around Connie's hand. She didn't speak and Connie had been silent, watching the gem with a mixture of confusion and surprise.

"Jasper." she said.

"Yeah? What?" the gem groused.

"Uhm..." Connie smiled a little, momentarily forgetting her pain. "Thank you. I didn't know you knew how to take care of human cuts."

Jasper glanced up at her, then shrugged her shoulders. "I knew what humans were. It was my job to understand their weaknesses and how they repaired themselves. I'm not stupid, you know."

"I know, I just..." Connie laughed sheepishly, shrugging too. "You never seemed the nurturing type."

Jasper looked at her, lips parting slightly with a small sound.

 _The tiny bird rested in the makeshift nest._

 _Jasper hovered over the creature, running a finger across its frail body. It gave a small chirp and she tilted her head._

 _"You're wing is broken," she told the animal, "Ridiculous. Weak. I'm surprised you haven't been eaten up by a stronger animal."_

 _The bird looked around, attempted to fly but flopped down, face-first. It seemed to stare down at its broken wing for a moment before chirping up at Jasper. The gem's features softened a little._

"I should probably get back to my project." Connie interrupted.

Jasper snapped out of her thoughts and frowned at her. "Don't cut yourself again. What are you doing for this...'school project' that made you injure yourself anyway?"

Connie smiled. "Oh! I'm building a diorama of the universe. I'm using aluminum foil for a backdrop."

She started to leave, but her phone rang and she noticed it was Steven. She answered it and brought the phone up to her ear.

"Steven?" she said.

On the other end, Steven and the gems were fighting off a corrupted gem that consisted of tentacles and eyes. He blocked a swing of a tendril with his shield.

"Connie!" he cried. "Garnet needs Jasper here! Another gem corruption's loose in the jungle!"

Connie looked up at Jasper, who stared at her questionably.

"Uh, what jungle, Steven?" Connie asked, anxious. "There's more than one!"

 _"Hold on."_ There was a series of shouts from the gems in the background, a loud screech from the gem monster that had Connie holding her head away from the phone with a wince. _"Garnet, what jungle?"_

A grunt from Garnet in the background. _"The Gem Hunting Grounds!"_

Connie looked up at Jasper. "The Gem Hunting Grounds?"

Jasper's face lit up. "I know where that is." she said. "They used the Hunting Grounds to train warriors before the war."

She started for the warp pad and Connie followed behind her. "I'll go with you!"

Jasper snorted. "I don't need your help."

"I can help!" Connie insisted. "Besides, homework can wait."

Jasper rolled her eyes, but didn't care if the human followed or not. So long as she didn't get in her way.

O

The corrupted gem surged through the brush, howling; a four-legged gem beast resembling the elephants of Earth.

Jasper gave chase, panting.

"Don't run from me!" she shouted.

Connie was clutching Rose's sword in her hand and followed as fast as she could. "Jasper!" she cried, stopping for a moment to catch her breath. "Wait for me!"

The gem corruption screeched as it crashed through the trees. Connie could hear Jasper's grunts of effort as she tried to subdue it. It took a few moments before the creature came charging out at her, but Jasper grabbed one of its legs and yanked, sending it falling to the ground with a loud, terrible cry.

She was covered in brown and gray splotches; clearly the corruption had put up quite a fight.

Connie took that chance to leap high and bring the sword down through the corruption's physical form, dispelling it and leaving only its gem at Jasper's feet.

"Wow, we make a good team!" Connie said, smiling.

Jasper had to admit that to a small extent. "Yeah. You're a bit clumsy on your technique, but you're not a bad warrior."

"Clumsy?" Connie looked confused.

"Yeah. Look...uh..." She retrieved a branch from the ground and held it like a sword, "just stand like me."

Jasper stood in a stance and watched Connie mimic it, but her handling was off. Jasper bent down and straightened her arms a bit to assist.

She thrust her stick forward and Connie did the same with Rose's sword.

She grinned, delighted.

It was odd to be "training" with Jasper, but in a way, kind of fun.

"I know you think that battle is all about skills, but you have to put brute force into your attacks sometimes," Jasper said.

"I'm not that strong as you." Connie pointed out.

"True. But you've seen me fight. Use your enemy's strength against him."

The two returned to the house and the other gems had already been there, waiting for them. They looked up, surprised to see Connie and Jasper engaging in conversation.

"...wow, so what did you do?" Connie exclaimed, star-struck.

Jasper grinned, punching the palm of her hand. "I punched it right in the nose and it flew so high that it hit a gem ship, taking out the engine!" She laughed. "You should have seen the look on that Nephrite's face!"

"Connie! Jasper!" Steven rushed up to them. "Did you get the gem?"

Jasper nodded. "Yeah, we got it."

"I see the two of you have bonded." Pearl said, with a smile.

"Jasper has SO MANY interesting stories to tell!" Connie told her. "And you should have seen her when that corrupted gem charged!"

Steven grinned. "Wow! I wish I could have been there!"

"Steven, you were with us." Pearl pointed out, approaching Jasper. "And we had our own - "

She immediately cut herself off and slapped her hands over her mouth and nose.

"Jasper! What in the name of the known universe is THAT?" she cried, disgust pinching her face.

Connie giggle sheepishly. "Oh, the corrupted gem knocked Jasper into something. I was trying to ignore it."

Jasper looked at Pearl with dismay, annoyed by the way she was reacting. "You're overreacting." she snapped. "It's just a bit of Earth mud. The stupid corrupted gem knocked me into it."

"That isn't just mud!" Pearl cried, still pinching her nose. "Stars, I'm going to be sick! AND THAT'S NOT PHYSICALLY POSSIBLE!"

Amethyst was cackling, nearly falling from the couch. "It is if you're me!"

Jasper protested as Pearl pushed her toward the bathroom to clean her off. She pushed her into the bath tub and turned on the water. Jasper grunted, annoyed at she was immediately doused in soap of every kind and Pearl began to scrub her off.

"You're being ridiculous." she snapped.

"No consort of mine is going to stay filthy." Pearl said, scrubbing Jasper's shoulders with two sponges. "You need to take better care of yourself."

"I'm not the one who constantly fusses over every little thing!"

"I do not fuss over EVERYTHING! Just the things that smell bad!" Pearl huffed. "Honestly, you really are Amethyst's sister."

Amethyst was cackling in the hallways. "Pearl! Wait, let me go get a camera!"

Jasper sat there in the tub, rolling her eyes and complaining the entire time.

While Pearl continued to clean her up, Garnet started to prepare lunch for Steven and Connie. She noticed that the human had a bandage wrapped around her hand.

"What happened?" she asked.

Connie looked down with an embarrassed chuckle. "School project accident." she said. "Jasper helped fix me up."

Garnet looked up, listening to the sound of the hair dryer click on. A few more choice complaints from Jasper and Pearl. It reminded her of Ruby and Sapphire.

"...Jasper, you're getting puddles on the floor."

"It's not my fault. I have a lot of hair."

"Yes, you do. Now under normal circumstances, I love your hair. But Steven could slip, now stand on the rug, please."

"Fine." A dramatic groan. "You're being ridiculous."

After a few moments, Jasper stepped out of the bathroom with Pearl holding a hair dryer. She was allowing Jasper's thick mane of hair to be dried for a few moments. When she seemed satisfied, she shut it off. Unfortunately, it made Jasper's hair poof out in an hilarious way.

Connie and Steven giggled, unable to help themselves.

Pearl bit her lip, struggling not to laugh. "Oh. Oh dear, I miscalculated."

Amethyst held a camera in hand and flashed a picture.

No one knew what happened next, but several pictures were taken in the wake of everyone fighting for control over the camera.

O

White had been working most of the evening searching through old files and documents saved from Pink Diamond. All trivial gifts, of course. White never comprehended such silly things in the past, but the little things had been so important and meant so much to the youngest Diamond.

She was pushing a few tablets aside, mumbling 'no' over and over until she stopped at a carving of Pink Diamond that had been ripped from a mural. White's features softened now and was replaced with an anguished grimace. She ran a hand across the surface of the carving.

 _"Can you read it to me again?"_

 _White chuckled and shook her head. She was tending to a plant that Pink had given her. "Honestly Pink. I read it to you five times today." She stared down at the plant. "And what is with this organic plant? I don't understand why you gave it to me."_

 _"It's the first plant I ever grew myself!" Pink told her, smiling with pride. She was sitting on White's chaise lounge. "The flowers bloomed when I had happy thoughts."_

 _White chuckled. "Stars, you and your thoughts." she murmured._

 _Pink held up the tablet. "Please, White? Just one more time?"_

 _A skeptical stare from the older Diamond. Then, she smiled, rolled her eyes and walked up. "Oh. Fine. Very well," White said, waving one hand. "Scoot over and give me room."_

 _Pink scooted over to one side as White took a seat. She retrieved the tablet, switched it on and Pink leaned against her. White raised an eyebrow before she put an arm around the youngest Diamond and began to read._

 _"'The year was twenty. Twenty years of the recorded universe as I stood before the stars'," she began. "'I witnessed the stars live, the stars die and planets emerge from chaos'."_

 _"Is that how life always starts?" Pink asked, looking up at her._

 _White smiled. "Yes."_

 _"That can't be like that all the time," Pink said, thinking about it. "It can start with good things, can't it? Look at my plant! That wasn't made with chaos."_

 _The two looked up at the plant and White smiled a little. "I suppose so."_

 _Pink beamed happily. Then, she gestured to the tablet. "Ooh! Keep reading!"_

 _White made a gentle, amused sound. "Alright."_

White tossed the tablet through the air, shattering it to bits. She took a moment to collect herself, shaking breaths escaping her. Then, she rubbed her face with one hand and paused, eyes widening.

She took a deep breath, her eyes rolling in her head before she began to sway back and forth. Delving deep into the recesses of her mind; she was searching Homeworld through the eyes of her gems, until she saw through the eyes of her pearl.

"The Howlite's presence is required."

White Pearl's perpetual smile never wavered as she drifted through the theater district of White's court. A single Howlite was performing for a crowd of gems.

White Diamond had found little in the use of them. They originally started as entertainers on Homeworld, though she had no need of them herself. Comical, otherwise pitiful clowns.

But Pink had loved them. She was always delighted by their entertainment. And THIS particular Howlite had been vying for her attention.

The gem was tall, slender and not physically imposing by any means. She had short, spiked hair that was decorated with bells. Her wide, gray eyes filled with delight. She was dressed in a tight black body-suit that had been painted with absurd colors of her choice.

Chaotic.

Howlite spun on her heels, flipped and ducked; she performed with bright colors, jokes and laughs. It was a sight for those below, who laughed and applauded her. The bells on her uniform and hair jingled loudly with her movements.

White Pearl drifted through the crowds, who suddenly looked unsettled by her appearance. Howlite had stopped her performance of ribbons and color when she noticed the pearl. A bright, wide smile lit her face.

"Howlite Cut 43A-07J," White Pearl said, in a flat tone. "Your presence is required."

Howlite grinned. She turned to the crowds. "That's all, my lovely audience!" she declared, with a dramatic bow, "I will see you next week!"

White Pearl led Howlite through the crowds and the gem eagerly looked at her. "White Diamond summons me? At last!" she exclaimed, happy, "I can finally put a smile on her face! She needs me, right? For that?"

White Pearl's blank expression never wavered. Howlite was excited to finally step into White Diamond's tower. Her Diamond was there in her throne, scrolling through something on a holographic screen. White Pearl merely phased through the wall and was out of sight.

Howlite brightened and saluted White. "My Diamond! Let me first say what an honor it is to finally - "

White raised one finger. "That isn't necessary." she interrupted. "I have something else in mind for you."

 _Pink was happily clapping as Howlite performed for her and the Diamonds. She had duplicated several versions of herself, performing an entire show all her own with bright ribbons, dances and elaborate illusions. Howlite produced a flower that shot out a stream of rainbow lights and handed it to Pink._

 _"They're wonderful!" Pink exclaimed, looking up at White. "They're Howlites, you said?"_

 _White nodded her head. "Yes. They are made to amuse. Delight and ease the burdens of a troubled mind."_

 _"Have they helped you?" Pink asked, looking up at her._

 _White arched an eyebrow. "Do you think me troubled?"_

 _"No, but you're so serious. Everyone should laugh sometimes, right?"_

 _"I find pleasure in my duties, Pink. You will too."_

 _Pink nodded her head. She leaned against White and the oldest Diamond smiled, shaking her head as they continued to watch Howlite's performance._

White, Blue and Yellow observed Howlite as she stood behind a glass screen. She had a small device built into her hand, much like that of a glove. White had given it to her as a testing device. Studying it curiously for a few moments, she glanced over at White, who smiled and gave her a single nod of approval.

Howlite looked up at the sight of two jaspers being pushed into the room with her by White Topaz's. The door was shut and the gems turned. They scowled at the sight of Howlite, who waved her fingers at them with a bright, happy grin on her face.

"Hey, look, it's a howlite." one of the jaspers said, elbowing her comrade.

Howlite smiled and raised the palm of her hand. "Come on and play with me!" she taunted.

The device released a sonic wave that sent both quartz's falling to the floor with shrieks of agony, holding their ears.

Blue reacted with surprise. "A sound suppressor!"

"Much like what I have on my ship." Yellow added, frowning.

White chuckled and nodded. "Yes, but with a little added...love from me."

Howlite smiled down at the writhing jasper's. "Come on, now. I thought you quartz's were made of tougher stuff than that!"

"Howlite." White said.

Howlite gave her a fleeting glance before nodding. "As you command, my Diamond."

She heightened the power of the glove and the jasper's continued to struggle with groans of pain before the light in their eyes faded. The life in their expressions was reduced to a relaxed, hypnotized stare and they slowly rose to their feet, in a perpetual trance.

Yellow and Blue reacted with shock and White clasped her hands together. "Wonderful! It works as I'd hoped!"

"I see you've combined this element with that of the Heartstone," Blue remarked. "Extraordinary."

"The information we've received from our messenger on Earth has proven useful."

"And I trust you know how this will end. She will continue to offer you the information you need if you continue to ensure Earth will be unharmed."

"Affirmative. I am a Diamond of my word."

Howlite had begun to command the jasper's to do ridiculous things; dancing like fools, smacking each other and running into walls.

The other two Diamonds found the device fascinating, but something still felt very wrong about it.


	36. Chapter Thirty-Six: Halloween Spirit

~O~

 **Chapter Thirty-Six: Halloween Spirit**

Pearl was looking at a scroll at the table that morning. Spinel sat across from her. Coco-Puffs was eating bits of offered bread from Spinel's hand.

"So? What does it say?" Spinel asked.

Pearl frowned curiously. "Mm, the scroll suggests that if we visit the Island of Bells, there may be something there that can help with your memories." she explained. "Spirit Quartz's were known to assist gems with things like this. Now I know there won't be any, but there COULD be something we can use."

Spinel looked down at Coco-Puffs. "Do you think it could help her?"

Pearl sighed, staring at the corrupted gem sadly. "I don't know. Maybe."

Spinel glanced down at the gem in her arms. She furrowed her brow and tilted her head. "Hey, does she look a little bigger to you?" she asked, holding the gem up to Pearl. "I feel like she's a little bigger."

Pearl didn't look up. She was studying the scroll. "I don't know, Spinel." She rolled the scroll back up. "Alright, Steven wants to go out shopping for his Halloween costume. He wants us to go with him."

"Ooh! Halloween!" Spinel exclaimed. "I'm excited! Maybe I'll find one for Coco-Puffs."

She looked down and set the corrupted gem down onto the floor. "Now, you stay here with Garnet and I'll bring you back something good!"

Coco-Puffs gurgled in response.

O

Spinel was staring at the plastic skull in the window, fascinated by its glowing eyes and chattering. The gems had accompanied Steven and Connie to buy costumes. Garnet had stayed at the house with Coco-Puffs to help finish decorating for trick-r-treaters.

"So…what's the big deal about Halloween for you humans? What do you do on this holiday? Dress up scary?" she asked.

Connie smiled and shrugged. "Well, it's a little more than just dressing up. But if you do, you can dress up however you want." she said. "Some people don't always want to look scary."

She looked at Amethyst now. "Are you dressing up too?"

Amethyst grinned. "Dude, a night of free candy and scaring people? Hah! I wouldn't miss it!"

They entered a costume shop and Spinel's eyes widened in amazement. She looked at the various costumes and decorations that littered the shelves and racks, chatting with excitement the entire time.

"Whoa! Guys! This is so cool!" she exclaimed, darting off to look around. "It's like Christmas! But very orange. And there's more funny faces than Greg had when he ate all that pie."

Her voice disappeared around a shelf and the others looked around as well. Amethyst put a fake arrow over her head and looked bored with it.

"Dude, I could just get a REAL arrow." she said.

Connie looked concerned. "That would hurt, right?"

"Not if you do it right."

"I don't know what I could wear this year," Steven said, scratching his head, "I mean, I can't do the same thing I was last year."

"What did you dress up last year as, again?" Connie asked. "I remember I couldn't come because mom made me stay home."

"Tiger Millionaire."

Spinel grinned, walking up to them with several glowing bands of various colors wrapped around her arms. "Guys! Look at me!" she said, beaming with pride. "Watch what it looks like when I run!"

She sped around the store at top speeds, narrowly avoiding customers and racks of costumes in her path. The inky pink smear she usually trailed around in her sprint was now a rainbow color.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" someone shouted in the store.

Amethyst giggled and Steven made a face, ushering Spinel to the back and out of view of the annoyed customers.

"Hey, it looked nice!" Spinel said, staring down at her arms. "Hey, Amethyst? What's your favorite color? You can get some and put them on your arm! It's like glowing jewelry!"

"Pink."

Spinel looked confused and stared down at the bands on her arms. "I don't know if they have that color."

Amethyst leaned up and gave her a quick peck on the cheek, to which earned a heated blush from Spinel. She shuffled away, embarrassed and Amethyst laughed.

O

A construction crew worked far outside of Beach City while the Halloween events were underway. One of them operated an excavator, scooping out enormous piles of dirt. Among the dirt, the scoop had crushed a metallic container, exposing a green gemstone.

"Hey!" a construction worker called to his friend on the heavy machinery. "Hey, turn that off for a second!"

The man on the machine stared down at him. "WHAT?" he yelled.

"Turn. It. OFF!" the other man made a gesture with his hand to better emphasize his point.

The man shrugged and shut off the machine. He stepped down and sighed impatiently, taking a clipboard that was offered.

They were talking together, failing to notice the green gemstone starting to glow.

"...Look, I want to get home soon. My kid wants to go trick-or-treating tonight."

"I'm sorry. Listen, if you finish up this pipe, you can leave early."

"Thanks."

Glowing, whip-like tentacles began to form from the gem. Long, skeletal arms followed. A massive set of jaws and glowing green eyes. A haunting moan escaped its jaws.

The sound reached the man who had been working on the excavator. He frowned and looked down the hole, but received a blast of green ooze directly in his face.

He gave a howl of pain and rubbed at his eyes. His sounds alerted the others, who turned to him in confusion.

"Mark!" they yelled. "Mark, what are you - "

Mark panted frantically, struggling to clean his eyes. After a few moments, he stopped and slouched his shoulders forward. When he turned, his eyes were distant and his mouth hung open in a zombie-like moan. The spaces around his eyes were red and flushed from the ooze.

"Mark!" the workers cried.

The gem monstrosity crawled from the hole and gave a rattling snarl, causing the men to scream in terror.

It's jaw swelled and it produced another stream of green ooze, spraying them and silencing their sounds.

O

Peridot had been confused by the holiday. "Why do humans make themselves look so terrifying and go to each other's houses to beg for food that's bad for them?" she asked.

"I remember this ritual," Pearl remarked, tapping her chin thoughtfully, "Long ago, humans had a belief that in doing so, it kept away evil spirits from their home." She made a face. "Though I can't see how dressing up in ridiculous outfits is enough to ward off evil."

Jasper was bored with the discussion, so she wandered into an aisle filled with rows of masks. She stopped at one that looked particularly disturbing.

A flash of memory replaced the real world.

Jasper shut her eyes tightly, hearing the echoes of screams in the back of her mind. Replacing the image of the mask was a gem screaming in pain.

Steven walked up to her, wearing a werewolf mask. "Jasper! What do you think of this?"

Jasper snapped out of her reverie. "Huh? Oh, it's..." She looked confused. "What is it?"

"I'm a werewolf!"

Jasper frowned. "A what?"

Peridot huffed and wandered over to them. "A werewolf, by human legend, is a shape-shifting human that transforms into a large beast capable of greater strength and dexterity." she explained. Then, she added sarcastically. "There are different interpretations of them. Some of which are human males who can't keep their shirts on."

Steven giggled.

Buck Dewey entered the store and Steven immediately put on the werewolf mask. He attempted to sneak up on him.

Lapis held up a tiara to her head, but murmured with disappointment. "I don't know about this." she said. "Seems a bit...pointless."

Peridot shook her head. "Lapis, the point is to have fun and be someone you're not."

Lapis frowned. "Why would I want to be someone I'm not?"

"No, that's not what I meant. It's just fun. Dressing up..." Peridot caught sight of Steven jumping at another customer and made a face. "...doing THAT."

Pearl chuckled, shaking her head. "Oh, Steven. There's no reason for us to..." She raised an eyebrow when Steven set a plastic crown on her head.

"You can be a queen!" Steven announced.

Pearl smiled, flattered by the thought. "Oh! Well, I AM a gem of royalty!"

Jasper rolled her eyes, but chuckled at the idea.

"What about you, Jasper?" Steven asked her, "You don't have to be anything scary. You can be..." He looked over at a shelf and retrieved a set of dog ears. "You can be an adorable dog!"

Jasper tilted her head and raised an eyebrow.

Steven looked down at the dog ears, grinned sheepishly and set them aside. "Sorry. Too soon?"

"A little." Jasper quipped.

O

While Connie tried on a few costumes, Spinel was attempting to understand the holiday while she fitted a circular space helmet over her head.

"Okay, so…humans make themselves look scary - not all, though - then…go to each other's houses to beg for sweets?"

Steven chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, that's kind of the idea."

"Spinel! Check me out!"

Spinel looked over at the sound of Amethyt's voice; she had shape-shifted into an enormous figure wearing a hockey mask, tattered clothes and holding a plastic chainsaw.

"Whoa, that's amazing, Amethyst!" Steven exclaimed.

Spinel grinned, nodding. "You're pretty scary. Ooh! Let me try!"

She rushed into the dressing room and eagerly began to root through boxes of masks. The others stared at the dressing room curiously while the gem was working behind the door.

When she stepped out after a few moments, she was wearing a werewolf mask and had the glow bands still wrapped around her arms. She also wore a pair of shiny pants.

"Wow, that's…uh…" Connie began, smiling with amusement.

Spinel walked up to them, thrusting her arms out. "Hey! What do you think of this?"

They stared at her, making an attempt to understand her costume choice. Connie laughed weakly and Amethyst tilted her head. Then, her face lit up and she grinned.

"Dude! You're the Werewolf Queen from Saturn!" she said.

Steven and Connie stared at her in disbelief and Spinel laughed, pointing at her. "Yep!"

"How did you know that?" Connie asked, staring at Amethyst with wide eyes.

Amethyst continued to grin and walked up to give Spinel a quick hug. "I saw it when she drew it."

Spinel slouched a bit. "Aww, it was gonna be a surprise!"

"Don't sweat it, Spinel." Amethyst assured her, "We can still go out tonight and get lots of candy."

"Yeah! I am ready!" Spinel thrust her hands in the air.

Ronaldo entered the store and Steven immediately put on a hockey mask. He attempted to sneak up on Ronaldo. He jumped out from racks of glow sticks and Ronaldo yelped, narrowly falling on his back.

"Steven! I don't have time for this!" Ronaldo told the younger boy. "I need to get glow sticks and be on the street before seven, or all the good houses will be fully looted!"

Steven looked confused and pulled the mask from his head. "Wait, you're going trick-or-treating?"

"YES." Ronaldo said, impatiently. "It's the only excuse I could give my dad to get out of working."

He quickly began to search the aisles while Steven followed.

"Ronaldo, do you believe in werewolves, ghosts and stuff?" Steven asked.

Ronaldo laughed, as if the question was absurd. "Of COURSE I do, Steven." he told him. "I am an expert on all things supernatural, non-supernatural, alien. You KNOW this by now!"

"So, on Halloween, do ghosts really appear?"

"Possibly. Though the spirit world is not a place you want to tamper with, Steven." Ronaldo studied a package of glow sticks. "If you do, you have to make sure you're protected, or you risk possession by an evil spirit!"

He reached beneath his shirt and pulled out a necklace of multiple good-luck charms and trinkets.

Steven stared at them with surprise. "Whoa."

Spinel stepped between them. "Hey, so are we ready to go?" she asked. She noticed Ronaldo's charms and made a surprised sound. "Ooh, protection charms! Nice!"

Ronaldo beamed with pride. "See? She gets it!"

"I remember a human from a village who had that many!" Spinel said, from behind the mask. "He was pretty nice, actually."

"Was he the Town Hero?" Ronaldo asked, smiling with pride.

"No. I think they called him the Village Maniac." Spinel said, scratching the werewolf chin as if it were her own.

Ronaldo deflated a little at that. "Oh! Well, whatever." he snapped. "I gotta get a costume!"

Amethyst shape-shifted into the Purple Puma. "I know what I'm going as!"

Spinel made an impressed sound. "Ooh! Can I?"

She gestured to Amethyst's shoulders and the other gem grinned. "Sure! Hop on!"

Spinel eagerly climbed onto Amethyt's shoulders and they marched out of the shop.

"Beware spirits! You are no match for the Spinelthyst!" Spinel yelled, gleefully.

"Well, the rest of us will return home," Pearl told Steven. "We really need to have the house and dinner prepared. If the humans are going to be knocking, it has to be ready."

Steven looked disappointed. "Aww, you don't want to come with us?"

"No, Steven." Pearl told him. "You all go out and enjoy yourselves."

Amethyst walked by with Spinel still on her shoulders. "They just want some alone time." she teased, giving Jasper and Pearl a knowing look.

The two gems blushed now and huffed.

O

The streets were flocked with parents and their children dressed up for Halloween. Spinel was eagerly consuming it all and enjoying every bit of the costumes. She stopped once to see a baby dressed up as a tiny alien.

"Ooh, he's an alien, that's cool!" Spinel said. "But that's now how aliens really look."

Connie was dressed as Lisa from her favorite book series, The Unfamiliar Familiar and Steven as Archimicarus. They walked up to a house and knocked. As a woman distributed candy, she noticed Spinel's costume and smiled.

"Well look at you!" she said, "What are you supposed to be?"

"The Werewolf Queen of Saturn. Duh." Amethyst said, jokingly elbowing Spinel in the process.

"Ah. I…see." the woman murmured, depositing an enormous candy bar in Spinel's bag.

Spinel beamed with delight.

They made their way down the street and Spinel happily threw her hands in the air.

"You guys, I love Halloween!" she cried. "If I knew there was a day for getting free candy, I would have dressed up sooner!"

"You never had a Halloween before?" Connie asked.

Spinel rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Well, not like today. Most of the human holidays were a lot different."

"I can imagine." Connie agreed.

Spinel rooted through her bag and pulled out a chocolate covered carrot. "Whoa, choco veggies! Humans will put chocolate on anything."

Steven grimaced. "Gross."

"I'm eating it." Spinel said, unwrapping the treat and tossing it into her mouth.

Amethyst searched her bag and pulled out some candy. "Hey, I'll trade you ten gumballs for a marshmallow ghost."

"Deal!" Spinel exclaimed, delighted.

While they ate, Connie and Steven paused at the sight of something moving through an abandoned house down the street. A collection of hisses alerted them to the possibility of a corrupted gem.

"Hey, guys?" Connie warned, drawing her sword. "We got trouble."

Spinel and Amethyst were immediately alert now. The group made their way toward the abandoned house mere seconds as a corrupted gem emerged, letting out a bellowing roar.

It had a single eyeball for a head and a long, snake-like body. It was enormous, about the size of a bus. It had black stripes along its body and a gem against the back of its bulbous head.

"Eyeball!" Spinel cried, pointing at it.

The corrupted gem snarled, lunging toward them. A small set of teeth opened up beneath the wide eye and the group scattered before it made contact. It crashed to the ground, cracking the concrete upon impact.

"Oh man, how did it get so close to town?" Steven cried.

The corrupted gem made its way toward them, but paused at the sight of a discarded candy bag on the ground. It slithered its way toward it, body rippling with each movement.

"The candy?" Connie said, surprised.

The corrupted gem began to chew at the sweets and ignore the others. Connie and Steven tossed their bags of candy at it and looked back at the two gems.

"Guys! Throw your candy!" Connie cried.

The two gems looked less than enthused to do that. When the corrupted gem made its way toward them, they threw their candy to distracted it.

Amethyst produced her whip, cracked it and wrapped the gem in several places. It reared back with a screech and Steven jumped onto its back to grab its gem and give it a twist.

The gem was dispelled in a poof of white smoke; Amethyst quickly jumped beneath him to catch Steven as he fell.

"Wow!" Spinel exclaimed. "Does that happen every Halloween?"

Connie laughed sheepishly, scratching her head. "No."

Steven bubbled the gem and gave it a little tap to send it on its way. "It was probably drawn by the smell of the candy."

"Yeah. OUR candy!" Amethyst griped.

Spinel looked at her sympathetically before she lit up and reached into her pants pockets, taking out a chocolate bar. She offered it to Amethyst and the other gem laughed.

"Thanks, Spinel." she said.

"It's melted." Spinel replied.

Amethyst had already been eating the chocolate and gave her a thumbs up. "Candy's candy, dude."

O

Later, Garnet had chosen to decorate the house appropriately for Halloween. Amethyst was running around dressed as a ghost - a simple sheet over her body with two holes cut out for eyes.

Peridot was walking around dressed as a ghost - a simple sheet over her body with two holes cut out for eyes. "I don't know why he wants us to dress up," she said. "This is ridiculous."

Garnet set up a plastic skeleton. She was wearing a witch outfit. "It's important to Steven and this is Spinel's first Halloween." she reminded her. "Now let's set up the bats." She called over to Spinel. "Spinel! Did you remember to get the bats?"

Spinel smiled, raising a thumbs up. "Yeah. I didn't forget."

Outside, a few children had wandered toward the house where two boxes were set up. They looked confused and opened one, where many lives bats flew out in a collection of screeches. The children ran away, screaming in fright.

Pearl looked shocked and gave Spinel a frown. "Spinel! You got REAL bats?"

"What other kind did you want?" Spinel asked, genuinely confused.

While Pearl made an effort to catch them, Jasper eventually joined in. Spinel looked down at Coco-Puffs and fitted her with a little pair of bat wings for her back. She smiled and Coco-Puffs chewed at the wings a little before looking up at her with a grunt.

Spinel murmured thoughtfully, studying the corrupted gem. "I swear, you ARE getting bigger." she said.

Pearl gathered the bats and put them into the box. Jasper helped her and she stared at Pearl in irritation. "This is ridiculous." she snapped. "Why are we even doing this?"

Pearl managed a smile and a shrug. "Well, Spinel hasn't experienced this holiday with us. It'll be good for her and for us to have some reprieve."

Jasper looked toward Spinel. "Shouldn't we spend time looking for the Island of Bells?"

"Yes," Pearl replied, looking back with her. "But after everything that's happened, we - All of us need some time to forget for a little bit." She made a face. "Even if it involves bats."

As Garnet was working on pinning up a paper ghost, she paused and looked toward the city, frowning.

Pearl looked down at her cellphone when it made a small vibrating sound. "Well, Steven's at the Fryman's. He wants us to meet up with him." she said. She looked up at Jasper. "Coming?"

Jasper nodded. "Fine."

O

Mr. Fryman was passing out tater-tot samples to everyone. He had two false screws on his neck and a few fake stitches drawn on his arms.

"Happy Halloween, kids!" he said.

Steven and the others approached him and eventually, Jasper and Pearl joined. Steven turned to them, beamed and waved. "Hey, guys!" he greeted.

Jasper seemed curious by the free samples resting on a few platters.

"Steven, you wanted us to meet up with you?" Pearl questioned.

Steven nodded. "Yeah! There's going to be this party later on by the beach. Everyone's going to be there! I thought you guys would like to come!"

"What about Connie?"

"Oh, she had to head home early. She has a project due for school."

"Well, that's very thoughtful, but - " Pearl cut herself off when she noticed the tater-tots. "Oh."

Mr. Fryman grinned when he caught her look. "Oh! My latest creation! I'm handing out these Halloween-themed tater-tots." he explained, holding up one that had been made to look like a skull. "Cute, right? The kids love 'em!"

Steven took one. "That's really cool!"

"Yeah, I wanted to really get into the Halloween spirit this year. Connect with the younger generation." Mr. Fryman looked over, noticing Jasper eating down every sample on the platters. Pearl looked surprised for a moment, then she tittered and shook her head.

"Ah, Jasper!" Steven cried.

He chuckled. "Nah, that's okay. Peedee ordered too many frozen tots this shipment. There's plenty for - "

The sound of garbage being rustled through caught his attention. He sighed impatiently and turned to wander to the back of the shop.

"If that raccoon is in my garbage again..."

One of the construction workers had his head buried in the dumpster and was rooting through it. Mr. Fryman scowled and approached.

"Hey! Get out of there right now!" he ordered. "I'm going to..."

The construction worker climbed out, his mouth buried into rotten burger meat. His eyes startled Mr. Fryman, who backed away in confusion.

"L-Look at your eyes..." he gasped, continuing to back away.

Around the corner, the gem corruption's many tendrils swayed and wrapped tightly around his head, yanking him screaming into the shadows.

The sound got the attention of the gems, who quickly followed it around the back of the store. They froze at the sight of Mr. Fryman and the construction worker in a similar, zombified condition. Moaning, they made their way toward them with arms outstretched.

"What's going on?" Pearl cried, "What's wrong with them?"

The gem creature stepped out with a loud, rattling cry. Behind it, the other zombified construction workers lifted their heads, standing at attention and slowly approaching.

Peridot panicked. "It's a gem weapon!" she exclaimed. "One of White Diamond's early experiments!"

"What?" Pearl looked at her in confusion, drawing her weapon. "We've bubbled every gem weapon!"

"Well, apparently you missed one." Lapis said, uneasy.

The creature raised its head and let out a collection of calls. Immediately, the zombified humans made their way toward them. Jasper tensed and her helmet appeared on her head, but Steven stopped her.

"Wait! You can't hurt them!" he cried, "They don't know what they're doing!"

Jasper scowled. "Then we shatter that thing!"

She charged full force for the gem corruption, ducking and avoiding whips from its tendrils. Jaws snapped, teeth gnashed and it sprayed a stream of saliva directly in Jasper's face. The gem recoiled with a shout, quickly moving to wipe her eyes.

"Jasper!" Pearl shouted.

A groan, a ragged cry of fury before Jasper blinked slowly, falling under the same spell as the rest. She joined the zombified humans and they continued their advance.

Pearl frantically charged for the gem corruption. "Jasper!"

"Pearl, wait!" Steven cried.

The gem's throat swelled and it unleashed a spray of green ooze. Lapis and Peridot jumped to avoid it. Steven raised his shield and attempted to protect the others.

"Quick! Get around me!" he shouted. "Peridot? Lapis?"

Much to his horror, the two gems had been drenched in the green fluid and in a similar condition to Jasper and the humans. Pearl had been rendered all the same. They turned toward Steven and began to shamble toward him.

Steven panicked, turned and ran. He could hear the loud, rattling cry from the gem monster behind him and a chorus of groans from his zombified friends.

Steven looked over when Ronaldo called frantically for him from behind a car.

"Steven!" he whispered, "Over here!"

Steven immediately rushed up to meet him and Ronaldo peered over the car once before he looked at them fearfully.

"Did you see them? The zombies?" he asked.

"They're not zombies, Ronaldo." Steven told him. "They're being controlled by a gem monster!"

Ronaldo thought about this with a murmur. "How is it controlling everyone?"

"Through spit it shoots out of its mouth!"

Ronaldo considered this. "Then it's up to us, Steven!" he told him. "We need to save the town and free everyone from the gem monster! Are you with me?"

Steven was doubtful. He needed to get to Garnet and Amethyst. "We should ask Garnet and Amethyst for help."

Ronaldo shook his head. "There's no time!" he insisted. "The more we wait, the more innocent people will get infected! We need to hurry!"

"But, Ronaldo - "

It was too late. Ronaldo was already making a run for the lighthouse, where he typically kept much of his conspiracy documents, maps and various other trinkets. Steven sighed, following behind him. Once they made their way inside, Ronaldo made sure to shut the door behind him.

"First, we need protection against its mind-control spit!" he said.

He reached up to a shelf in the corner, retrieving a motorcycle helmet and setting it onto his head. He began to dress himself in a bizarre combination of body armor consisting of hockey pads, and a baseball-catcher's protective chest armor.

"Okay! We need to get to the car first to lure them out of Beach City." he told him.

"Shouldn't we just get Garnet and Amethyst?" Steven insisted. "They can help us."

Ronaldo sighed. "Steven, they'll just end up as collateral!" He retrieved a cricket bat from the shelf to use as a weapon. "We can't afford to have anyone else fall prey to this mind-controlling life form! It's just you and me now! We have to work together to save the city!"

Steven nodded. If it saved everyone, perhaps working together with Ronaldo wasn't a horrible idea.

O

The two stepped outside with Ronaldo leading. Steven had his shield at the ready.

"I can use my dad's car and we can lead them out of Beach City." Ronaldo told him. "It's not far. Let's be careful. Zombies can smell fear!"

Steven made a face. "Are you sure about that?"

Ronaldo found the family car and he quickly hurried to grab the keys from inside the shop. With a smile, he pressed the unlocking button on the key fob. The sound of the car beeping to announce the unlocking alerted several zombified people to turn toward them.

Ronaldo groaned. "Oh no..."

He quickly picked Steven up and they rushed for the car. The gem corruption crawled its way toward them, letting out an enraged, rattling snarl. It seemed to notice the shield in Steven's hand and its frightening eyes narrowed.

Steven looked down, noticing the way it was looking at his shield. He didn't have long to think about this odd act. Ronaldo quickly tried to start the car and Steven pushed a zombified Dewey from climbing through the window.

"Sorry, Dewey!" he cried.

He looked at Ronaldo frantically. "Start the car!"

Ronaldo managed to get the car started and the vehicle ranced down the street with the gem corruption roaring behind them. The roar literally vibrated the air, calling the zombified beings at its feet to pursue the car.

Ronaldo looked in the rearview mirror and noticed the "zombies" no longer lumbering, but breaking out in full-on sprints. The gem monster was also in a frantic chase.

"Oh no!" he cried, "They're the 'running' zombies!"

"Is that bad?" Steven looked at him desperately.

"NO ZOMBIE THAT RUNS IS A GOOD THING!"

A zombified Jenny jumped onto the back of the car, punching her fist through the glass of the window. Steven gave a cry and struggled to push her back. Jenny blankly stared at him as she swiped in an effort to reach him. She didn't seem interested in Ronaldo.

Only Steven.

"Jenny, no, listen to me!" Steven cried, struggling against her hands. "You're being controlled! You can break free! You're too strong to let a corruption do this!"

Jenny didn't blink. She didn't acknowledge him. Steven shoved her from the window with his shield, grunting with effort the entire time.

Jenny was eventually urged from the shattered window and rolled onto the street. Steven called out an apology, but it was cut short when the corrupted gem howled out in rage.

"Hold on!" Ronaldo cried, turning the wheel sharply.

Steven was roughly jerked to the other side of the car. He looked up and noticed the corrupted gem scaling the lengths of building rooftops in an effort to keep up with them. Ronaldo saw it too and gave a shriek of fright.

It jumped ahead, landed in front of the car before swiping out with its claws, sending the vehicle flipping onto its side.

O

Steven groaned in pain, struggling to pull an unconscious Ronaldo from the overturned vehicle.

Steven looked up in horror at the sight of his zombified friends and family approaching. The gem corruption loomed over them.

"Wait!" he begged. "Please!"

Just then, the group under the control of the gem corruption began to speak in perfect time together, almost with a hive-mind mentality.

 _"We've been expecting you, Rose Quartz."_ they all spoke.

Steven's eyes widened in horror.

Ronaldo's eyes opened and he caught the sight. "The creature is using them to speak!" he exclaimed. "Like a unified mind!"

Steven met the creature's stare. "I'm not Rose Quartz!"

 _"You bear the gem of the one who has forsaken us."_ the collection of voices continued, without hesitation. _"One who has sworn to protect us. But it was we who suffered for her sins. My gem...broken for you."_

Steven shook his head, tears filling his eyes. "You can't control my family! Or my friends."

Like Jasper, it seemed that this gem would not see him as anything more than his mother.

 _"We were made to be ruled, Rose. And so were they."_

"That's wrong!" Steven cried. His voice softened and he pleaded desperately. "Please, just let them go. They didn't do anything wrong."

 _"You think you can be forgiven? You think saving them will atone for your sins? No. You deserve to suffer. We all deserve to suffer."_

Suddenly, an enormous shadow loomed over the corrupted gem. Its body twisted to look back, only to receive massive arms around its throat.

Sugilite.

Steven watched in amazement as Sugilite cackled, grabbing the gem corruption beneath the arms and swinging it back over her head. The screaming creature sailed through the air before landing on the beach, sending waves of sand shooting up into the air.

"Hey!" Sugilite bellowed, stomping her foot. "There's only room for one big gem on this beach! And it ain't you!"

The gem corruption righted itself and screamed at her. Sugilite grinned, cracking her fingers before she produced her weapon, giving it a spin in her hands.

"Come here!" she taunted. "I got something for ya'!"

While the two fought on the beach, Steven made an effort to wake the zombified group. He patted Jasper's cheeks gently.

"Jasper, come on!" he cried. "Snap out of it."

The gem corruption tried to crawl away from Sugilite, but she just laughed and grabbed one of its many tentacles, dragging it right back.

"Aww, where are you going?" she sneered. "I thought we were having fun?"

A tentacle slapped her across the face, knocking her glasses off. Sugilite grinned wickedly, grunting with effort.

"Okay, NOW I'm mad!"

She punched it in the face and stomped on its tentacles. It screeched and wailed under her attacks. Steven looked up at her.

"Sugilite!" he yelled. "We need to poof her so everyone can go back to normal!"

Sugilite laughed, far too delighted by the game she was playing. "Yeah, yeah, give me a minute!" she called down to him. "I need to teach this thing a lesson in PAIN!"

Steven watched with a mixture of relief and pity; he was relieved that Sugilite came to save them, but seeing the creature getting stomped by Sugilite's foot was not something he wanted to witness. Not for much longer anyway.

"Sugilite, that's ENOUGH!" he shouted.

Sugilite looked down at him with a grin. For a moment, it seemed like she wasn't going to listen; like it was going to be another incident as it had been on the beach with Pearl. But then, she scoffed and raised her fist for the finishing blow.

"Fine." she hissed.

Finally, she brought her fist down, silencing the gem corruption's shrieks.

O

Howlite arrived on Earth as scheduled.

She hummed a playful tune to herself, skipping through the ruins of White Diamond's frozen facility. She was wearing a collar on her neck with a small camera lens fitted to it. Her Diamond was watching her progress. She would be sure to please her however she could.

"Hello!" she called, "Diopside! Diopside, are you here?" She chuckled, shaking her head. "Of course you are, how silly of me."

Diopside lifted her head when Howlite made her way into the chamber. The fused gem's head rotated, revealing the snarling face.

"A PITIFUL CLOWN!" she snarled, "BEGONE FROM THOSE WHO SUFFER!"

Howlite laughed now. "Well, you're as fun as she said you'd be." She sighed dramatically and leaned against Diopside's massive arm. "My Diamond sent me here to get information. You know, about Rose and her friends. You know anything about that?"

"A HOWLITE THINKS TO INTERROGATE. HOW PRECIOUS." the angry face hissed.

It rotated now to the calm, serene face. "What do you want with them?" she asked, troubled.

"I think you know, don't tease me," Howlite laughed, waving a finger up at her. "White Diamond wants Rose Quartz back on Homeworld. I'm here to just...deliver her."

Diopside didn't answer.

"You know I have a way to get you to talk, right?" Howlite continued, grinning toothily.

A chuckle from the fusion. "We've been suffering for thousands of years. White Diamond tortured us for thirty before we finally gave her what she wanted. I don't think you have that sort of time to waste. What makes you think a little performer can pry words from us?"

Howlite sighed and shook her head. "Wow, you are REALLY no fun." she said, with a small laugh. "Oh well, I can find them another way. That old Warp Pad still works, right?"

The enraged face spoke now. "YOU WILL NOT DEFEAT THEM! YOU ARE NOTHING MORE THAN A COMMON CLOWN!"

Howlite gave a bark of laughter. "Hah! As common as they come. But nothing compared to those Rebels you're siding with. I mean, they shattered Pink Diamond and dance around about it." She paced around the room, chuckling before shaking her head with dismay. "And I thought my jokes were bad."

She started toward the door with a grin on her face. Howlite was determined now to prove to her Diamond what she was capable of.

"Don't worry! I'm here to put on the show of a lifetime."

Diopside watched her go and shut her eyes, pained by the thought.

 _It will never end._


	37. Chapter Thirty-Seven: Island of Bells

~O~

 **Chapter Thirty-Seven: Island of Bells**

The gems were standing in a field where towers of bells had been placed. They were on an island surrounded by water as far as the eye could see. Spinel had decided to laugh and reach out with two hands to gesture around her.

"The Island of Bells!" she cried.

"I wonder why they call it that." Pearl quipped, surreptitiously.

Pearl, Steven Amethyst, Jasper and Garnet were with them. Lion was tagging behind and sniffed around, ignoring the chatter by the others.

"Have you asked her yet?" Garnet asked, looking down at Amethyst while the others began to talk.

Amethyst blushed a little. "No. I mean, do you just walk up to a gem and just ask 'Hey, wanna fuse'?"

Garnet stared down at her silently and Amethyst huffed, folding her arms across her chest. "You know what I mean."

"Amethyst, you've fused many times." Garnet pointed out.

"Yeah, but it's different when you..." Amethyst's blush deepened and she hid her face in her hair. "When you like somebody a lot."

"Just walk up and ask. You have little to lose." Garnet assured her.

Amethyst huffed, thinking about the suggestion. Then, she nodded and murmured, determined. While they were talking, Steven and Spinel were taking a moment to look at the various sizes of bells around them.

"So, you've been here before, Spinel?" Steven asked.

Spinel smiled, nodding. "Yeah. I had to deliver a few messages back and forth for the Spirit Quartz's. They're not a social bunch, I'll tell you that much."

"Why's that?"

Spinel shrugged. "They're into that whole 'peaceful silence' kind of thing. I dunno."

Jasper sighed, staring skyward. "What makes you think we'll even find what we're looking for?"

"It's a long shot," Garnet agreed, "But we've met gems who've survived the battle before. Maybe there's a slim chance we'll find one. Or the location of one."

Spinel stepped up to an enormous brass bell and stepped beneath it. "Whoa! Hey, guys! Hey, look at the size of this bell!"

"Spinel, please be careful," Pearl said.

"Pearl, I'm older than these bells. I'll be as careful as a puppy in - " Spinel patted the bell, but her light gesture caused it to snap from its post and fall to the ground with a loud crash.

She winced, shut her eyes before opening one and smiling sheepishly. "Oops."

"Spinel, honestly!" Pearl protested, "That's a gem relic!"

"It's a BELL, Pearl." Spinel argued back. "You can always have bells. In my defense, that was probably going to fall, even without me."

Pearl groaned and rolled her eyes.

Amethyst wandered over to another bell, following Spinel as she studied it. "Hey, Spinel?" she said.

"Yeah?" Spinel stuck her head in one of the bells, giving a soft 'ooh' at the sight.

"Hey, I was wondering if you've ever...uh...thought about fusing with me." Amethyst seemed shy about the question.

Spinel abruptly knocked her head into the bell, drawing a wince from Amethyst. She reached up with two hands and held her head, grimacing in pain as she looked at her.

"Uh, sorry." Spinel said, laughing weakly. "I just thought for a minute there, you asked me to fuse with you."

Amethyst looked a little confused. "Yeah. I... I did."

Spinel started laughing again, as if the idea was utterly silly. When she noticed Amethyst looked dead serious, her smile disappeared and now she looked a little uncomfortable.

"Oh, you're not kidding." she said.

"Why would I joke about that?"

"Well, no, no, I didn't - " Spinel sought to explain. "It's just..." She was silent for a moment and looked confused now. "You really want to fuse with me? A lowly Spinel?"

"I don't think you're lowly or stupid!" Amethyst snapped at her. "That's..." She blushed a little. "That's kinda why I wanted to fuse. I wanted to show you... You know..."

Spinel thought about that. She knelt down so she could properly embrace Amethyst at her level. "Maybe we will, if you want." Spinel told her, cheeks blushing bright pink. "But...not now. I'm not..." An awkward giggle. "I'm not ready yet."

"Alright. That's fine with me." Amethyst said, smiling.

Spinel actually looked quite relieved and Amethyst gave her a kiss on the cheek. The gem flushed again and giggled, embarrassed.

"Hey, guys!" Steven called, cupping his mouth.

The two looked over and noticed the others starting to approach a tall white-blue tower made up of bells.

"Are you coming?" Steven yelled.

"Yeah! Hold up!" Amethyst yelled back.

They quickly rushed to follow the others inside the tower.

O

The tower was quite a sight.

It was filled with ancient statues of gems, walls painted with images of gem history, and various bells littered the tall ceiling over their heads. Even old tarps and rugs still lingered in what was surely once occupied with Era One gem life.

"Wow, this place is OLD." Amethyst remarked.

"Well, what we're looking as is an Era-One Bell Tower." Pearl explained, wandering around the great hall. "I've heard of them in rumor, but I was never able to stand in one myself. The architecture predates most of us."

"Not me." Spinel said, smiling up at one of the tapestries. "I remember sending a message to the gems who made this place. It was REALLY cool."

Pearl raised an eyebrow. "Appropriate choice of words, Spinel."

"Thanks!"

Pearl groaned, rolling her eyes.

Amethyst looked up at Spinel curiously. "Whoa, so what was it like seeing all of those places being built?" she asked. She grinned, punching her palm. "Did you get to see stuff knocked down?"

Spinel beamed, delighted by the attention. "Yep! All of that and more." she told her. Then, she raised an eyebrow and tapped her chin. "I delivered a message to a Flint who worked here before Bismuth's started being used."

Hearing the mention of Bismuth made Steven's heart sink a little. Sometimes, he still wondered how the life with the gems would be if she had been here. He wandered over to Jasper, who seemed interested in a table covered with various statuettes.

Jasper furrowed her brow.

"What is it, Jasper?" Steven asked.

Pearl noticed it too, what Jasper was looking at; the larger gem ran a finger over a shelf and looked down at it. The shelf had been cleaned recently and Pearl herself took notice. She looked at Garnet and the gem nodded her head.

"Someone's cleaned here," she told the others. "Be ready."

Spinel laughed, leaning on a shelf. "What are we ready for? The cleaning gem?"

The sounds of footsteps caused every head to turn toward a door. A few moment passed and it opened, revealing a large, purple gem in robes. She had short violet hair that covered her eyes and a pointed gem on her shoulder. She had large, puffy cheeks and was walking barefoot across the stone.

"Wha..." she gasped. "Who are..."

Then, she lifted her bangs and looked toward Jasper, Pearl and Spinel. Her eyes were purple.

A grin lit her face and she laughed with joy. "Oh, my Stars!" she cried. "I cannot believe I'm seeing this with my own eyes!"

The gems looked at one another, confused by her excitement. Then, the large gem quickly walked over, grabbed Pearl, Jasper and Spinel into her arms in an embrace. Spinel laughed, delighted by the hug while the other two looked at Garnet in disbelief.

"Garnet, what's going on?" Pearl demanded, "Are we being attacked? What is this? Who is this gem? Explain why this is happening to us!"

Spinel continued to laugh before looking at her and answering for Garnet. "This is a Spirit Quartz, Pearl! The one we were thought we wouldn't find!" she said. "And they like to hug! A lot!"

"So I can see..." Garnet quipped, chuckling.

"I..." A grunt from Pearl and she grimaced a little from the tight embrace from the larger gem. "I didn't think one still lived here!"

Spirit Quartz set them down, smiling brightly. "Well, I never thought I'd see another gem come through here! I'm happy to meet gems still alive from the court of Pink Diamond!"

"How do you know who we are?" Jasper asked.

Spirit chuckled at her. "Do you know what I am? I can feel the energy of the gems in this room." Her eyes landed on Steven. "But you? You're different."

Steven smiled, embarrassed. "I get that a lot."

Spirit approached him, kneeling down. "Ah yes, you are VERY different." she said, scrutinizing the boy, "I see. You possess the energy of a powerful gem, yet...not."

"I am half human." Steven offered.

"Ah, yes, I see..." Spirit tilted her head curiously. "What an oddity you are. Hm. Well, if you'd be comfortable with it, I'd be delighted to talk with you about your existence. Maybe we can discuss some things about - "

"Spirit, how are you still here?" Pearl was curious and interrupted her before she could finish. "After the damage by the Diamond's, we assumed most of gem life had been corrupted."

"Yes, I remember that." Spirit stood up with a sigh, "What had become of the war and the fight for Earth. Honestly, I didn't expect to survive the damage. But this island itself protected me. You saw the bells outside, correct?"

A few nods and murmurs in response.

Spirit looked at Spinel and made a face. "One of them that YOU so kindly broke. I heard the sound from quite a distance."

Spinel huffed, putting her hand on her hips. "Well, how'd you know it was me?"

"I didn't. You just told me."

Spinel gasped, clasping a hand over her mouth. Amethyst giggled a little in response.

"The bells do more than just supply me with music and pleasurable sounds," Spirit continued, regarding all of them. "They protected me from the Diamond Song. After the battle, I simply...went to sleep to collect my thoughts."

"Sleep?" Steven asked.

"Indeed. Well, perhaps what a human might consider to be sleep. It was a period of silent reflection on my part."

Garnet looked at her now. "Spirit Quartz; as Pearl said, we didn't expect to find you here." she told her, "But since you are here and well, we needed you for a very specific request."

Spirit tilted her head, but nodded. "Yes, of course. I suppose discussions can come later. Time to resume my duties. What is this request?"

"We may believe that Spinel holds some connections to Pink Diamond. We were hoping you could Read her and find out for yourself."

Spirit looked at Spinel and smiled. "Alright. Come with me, little messenger."

Spinel looked at Amethyst for reassurance and she took her hand. They followed Spirit into another chamber filled with bells and mirrors. On the center was a rug made up of fine material surrounded by candles. Spirit took a seat and crossed her legs.

The others stood on the sidelines, watching her curiously.

"Tell me, what would I be looking for?" Spirit asked them.

"Spinel has an important message she was supposed to give White Diamond from Pink." Pearl explained, "But she's unable to remember what it was."

"I see." Spirit looked up at Spinel. "Sit in front of me, please."

Spinel nodded and took a spot across from the larger gem. She looked down at how Spirit was sitting and winced, trying to cross her legs in the same fashion. Amethyst tried not to laugh and hid it behind her hand. Spirit watched as she got comfortable enough before reaching out with two hands.

"Give me your gem, dear." she told her.

Spinel reached out with her hand and Spirit placed her hand over Spinel's gem. She closed her eyes and the gem on her shoulder began to glow.

"Alright, I want you to relax, Spinel." Spirit said, gently.

Spinel blinked and shut her eyes now.

"Your gem was damaged," Spirit continued, brow knotting. "But the memory is still there. All of your gem type can imitate the message perfectly. Can you find it?"

Spinel grimaced. "I...I don't know."

Amethyst walked up to her and sat down at her side. "Hey, you can do it." she assured her, taking her other hand. She smiled up at Spinel. "I believe in you, dude."

Spinel looked at her, uncertain for a few moments. Then, she smiled and nodded once, closing her eyes. She took a deep breath, was silent for the longest time before her eyes opened. They were white, much like Pearl's when they presented data to their gems.

" _Spinel 5-3F2 Cut-6FP_ ," she spoke, in an imitation of Pink Diamond's voice, " _I have a message for you to deliver to White Diamond. Please report to my chambers immediately_."

The others reacted with several shocked gasps. Jasper withered at the sound of her Diamond's voice and her eyes brimmed with sorrow. Amethyst was amazed. She waved a hand in front of Spinel's face, noticing no reaction or change in expression.

She continued. _"White, this - No, no, I can't start it that way... Oh. I know... White, you've been my teacher since I first jumped out of the ground. You've shown me how the universe is, how I have to be; but I've seen that there's so much more to it. Blue and Yellow won't understand, they never will. Maybe you have once, but now, I'm not so sure._

 _I'm going to make a decision; the first decision I've ever made on my own. I'm choosing to live. I've seen a world filled with life, with choices and possibilites; the possibility that we can change is there, but I don't know if the rest of you are ready for that change. But I am. And I will take it._

 _This will be the last time you hear from me. I will fade away. You will probably blame the humans, the gems. I know you'll blame everyone. But please, forgive them. Find it in your heart to see what they really are - more than slaves. More than toys for us to break. I hope the day comes where we can be together again and when it does, I will be there. But please, do them no harm. They're already suffering."_

O

Spinel blinked, her eyes returning to normal. She looked at the others, who were stunned by the message. Lion's ears simply flicked in response and he rumbled.

Jasper's eyes were wide and she looked as still as a statue. She didn't breathe, she didn't speak. In fact, Pearl had begun to worry that Jasper was somehow frozen by this news. She raised one hand and rested it on her shoulder, somehow snapping Jasper from her trance.

"She wasn't shattered." Jasper gasped. "She left. She chose...Earth."

"What? Are you sure?" Garnet asked, speaking now.

Spirit nodded her head. "Any message given to a Spinel can be archived within her gem." she explained. "Though they do fade in time in place of new ones. We were lucky that her last message happened to be one from Pink Diamond herself."

Jasper looked haunted now. "But that would mean that..." she began, struggling to find the right words. "That would mean that she turned her back on the Diamond Authority and chose to-to - "

Steven walked up to her now and Pearl had been oddly silent about the revelation. She looked away, grimacing sadly.

"Jasper, we don't know what this means just yet," Steven assured the larger gem. "But what we DO know is she wasn't shattered! Maybe? That's good news...right?"

Jasper didn't seem sure. She rubbed her head with one hand, trying to make sense of this. "That means she CHOSE EARTH!" Jasper shouted now, unable to comprehend the news, "She chose Earth over Homeworld!"

"Jasper, please," Pearl reached for her now, "We should probably sit down and - "

Jasper was already walking to the doors of the tower. She walked right outside and slammed them behind her. The others watched her go, disappointed. Pearl sighed, lowering her head and Spirit put a hand on her shoulder. Pearl looked surprised by the gesture.

"Let me speak to her," Spirit offered, "This is my area of expertise, after all."

Pearl and the others didn't argue. Spirit made her way outside, looking for Jasper. She searched for the quartz until spotting her sitting in an enormous, broken bell. It was lying on its side, which gave Jasper plenty of room to sit inside of it.

"Jasper?" Spirit queried gently. "May I sit beside you?"

Jasper didn't look at her or respond, so Spirit took a seat anyway. The larger gem snarled with frustration, clutching her head with one hand.

"She CHOSE EARTH!" she shouted.

"I do not know exactly what happened," Spirit argued gently, "The will of the Diamonds is never easily understood. When I heard the news of Pink Diamond's shattering, I didn't want to believe it. Not at first. I had accepted it in time. But this message that Spinel possesses. It proves that she may still be alive."

Jasper nodded her head. Yes, she had to think about that. If Pink Diamond was truly still alive, then her fighting wouldn't have been for nothing. She could truly understand what it had all been for.

"May I have your hand for a moment?" Spirit suddenly asked.

Jasper frowned, but considered it and reached out with one hand after a few moments. Spirit took her hand, studied the splotchy marks that still lingered. Her other hand reached out to touch Jasper's gem and she closed her eyes for a moment.

Jasper shut her eyes and said nothing as Spirit had become overwhelmed by her emotions. The older gem had begun to softly cry.

O

Jasper had returned to the tower with Spirit beside her. Pearl reached up and placed a gentle hand on Jasper's cheek. She looked up at her worriedly and Jasper smiled weakly in return. They would talk about it later, she assumed. It was probably best to do so in private.

"We need to return to the temple." Garnet told them. "And we need try to figure this out on our own. Spirit Quartz was helpful in finding out what we needed."

Spirit took a step forward, reaching out as they began to depart. "Wait, might I ask you for something before you go?"

"I suppose." Garnet replied.

"I understand that it would be presuming upon our meeting, but could I accompany all of you?" Spirit asked her. "After all, I would like to offer more of my services in the company of my fellow gems."

Steven seemed doubtful. After all, he'd been cautious lately. "You do?"

Spirit nodded her head. "I have never left this tower in such a long time; but it would do some good to see the world and how much it has changed." She read their suspicious looks and sighed, hanging her shoulders. "You do not trust me, I understand given the circumstances, but I only want to help. After knowing what I know, I can't sit by and do nothing."

Steven looked up at Garnet. "Garnet? What do you think?"

"I could ask you the same." Garnet said.

Steven sighed and the group made their way out of earshot while they talked about Spirit. Amethyst seemed okay with it and Spinel was also not opposed. Garnet looked down at Steven.

"Spirit Quartz would be useful to have on our side," she told him, "She can see into the past and relive them for us as needed. But what bothers me is that I can't see any future with her. Nothing about her crosses any possibilities in my Future Vision."

Spirit stuck her head between them. "That's because Spirit Quartz's are made to be precise opposites to a Sapphire or any particular Seer gem type." she explained to them. "We see the past, but that it something you cannot do. In other words, we contradict everything that you are."

"I don't like that." Garnet frowned.

"I can't imagine why. You contradict me and I don't dislike you."

Garnet pouted a little, annoyed by the somewhat coy response. Spirit looked down at Steven now and crouched a little to meet him at his level.

"What is your answer?" she asked.

Steven frowned thoughtfully.

O

Many faces stared at them.

Spirit Quartz marveled at Beach City with wide, delighted eyes. She waved at a few staring humans and chuckled, amused.

"My, there are so many natives!" she exclaimed. "I think they may have multiplied in greater numbers since Era-One!"

Steven grimaced and Garnet looked down at him. "Are you going to be alright here with her?" she asked him.

Steven sighed, looking over his shoulder. "Don't worry. I think I can handle it. We can all talk later."

Garnet nodded. She quickly jumped off to the beach and made her way back to the temple. Steven looked over and noticed Spirit occupying herself with a car. She studied it with fascination and ran her fingers over the metal.

"Joy was given to this," she remarked. "What wonders humans can create!"

Steven looked at her curiously. "You can feel things from cars?"

"No. Well, not just that," Spirit turned to face him, "As a Spirit Quartz, I am able to sense the past through objects themselves, as long as something of great emotional drive was present."

Seeing that Steven looked a little lost, she sought to explain better. She looked around and picked up a piece of paper from the sidewalk.

"For example, say you had this paper with you when you...say...experienced great emotional sorrow. I would be able to sense the emotions, pinpoint it precisely and witness exactly what occured there."

Steven looked impressed. "Whoa! I think I get it now!"

Spirit chuckled gently, nodding. "Well, perhaps you could help me better understand you?" she suggested. "After all, I've never seen a half-breed such as yourself. You must do..."

She trailed off and looked toward a human, who had been standing outside the Big Donut. She heard his wolfish whistles to passing women and furrowed her brow, a little taken by the behavior. As an older gem, such lewd attitude seemed inappropriate.

"What's going on over there?"

Steven followed her gaze. "Oh! Not sure."

"Perhaps I should speak with him. I am, after all, ignorant to human customs."

Steven didn't seem to object, so Spirit made her way to the human man. When he noticed her approach, he chuckled, raised an eyebrow and took a sip from a soda cup.

"I'm not looking for spiritual enlightenment, lady," he said.

"That's fine. You certainly don't seem the sort." Spirit quipped. "Tell me, human male. Why do you insist on shrieking such untoward things to females of your species?"

The man blushed a little and frowned indignantly. "What?"

"Is it perhaps a mating ritual?" Spirit asked, genuinely curious. "Does your high-shrieks and nasal-filled words work as a means to entice a female?"

The man looked completely flustered now. He sputtered a few words and glared down at Steven.

"Hey! Tell your weird grandmother to - " he began.

"I can assure you, I'm no one's - " Spirit started to argue, but Steven took her hand and gently started to pull her away.

O

After searching for hours, Pearl could see the shape of Jasper at the very top of the temple. She made her way up and found the gem sitting beside the washer and dryer, watching the ocean before her. She sighed and slowly approached.

"Jasper?" Pearl said. "I really hope you don't make a habit of running off like that. I don't know if I could handle another disappearance."

She laughed nervously at her joke, but noticed nothing but dead silence from the other gem. Pearl walked up and sat down beside her. She looked at Jasper and saw that her face was still streaked with tears. The heartbreak of it was enough to make Pearl's heart clench.

"I don't understand..." Jasper began, her words grating out of her. "Was it all a lie?"

Pearl exhaled gently, leaning her head on her shoulder. "Jasper, I don't have all the answers for you." she replied, carefully. "But Pink Diamond's choices are...strange. I don't think any of them are because of you or anyone else of her court."

Jasper looked at her, like a child who had been slapped for no reason. "If it's really true, then she's been alive all this time. What does it mean? Why would she pick this miserable rock over Homeworld?" She looked at Pearl. "What do you know about it?"

A look came over her now; Pearl's hands closed over her mouth and she uttered a quiet whimper. Jasper sighed, shutting her eyes before she looked out toward the ocean. She didn't notice how tormented Pearl looked, how she held her mouth as if stifling many words she tried to get out.

Jasper sighed, reaching up to hold her hands to her face.. She shut her eyes and fresh tears began to fall now. Pearl pulled her hands from her mouth. She stared at the larger gem sadly before leaning up and kissing her on her gem.

Jasper didn't want to return to the others just yet. Not with the storm raging in her head. She saw the static and er hands began to shake and Pearl noticed it when she felt the slight tremor's on her shoulders. The stress put on her mind caused this. And being with Pearl helped ease it.

If only until the static returned again.

O

Steven and Spirit Quartz sat down on the beach and Steven had spent a good hour explaining everything to her about his birth, what had happened and everything that was going on. Most of his discussions involved Rose and how he felt weighted by the sins of her past. Spirit had been listening silently, taking in it all.

"I see. So much has happened in my absence." she said, furrowing her brow.

"I just don't know who I'm supposed to be," Steven told her, with a sigh, "I still feel responsible for my mother and the gems she hurt. I still don't know why I'm here and I don't know if I'm good enough to do what everyone expects me to do."

Spirit frowned. "I think for a child, you put entirely too much expectation on yourself." she explained, "You are young and you should never carry the burdens of your mother. As long as you spend your days trying to do good, then that should be enough. Everything else will fall together eventually."

Steven smiled a little, relieved by her wisdom. "You're really smart, Spirit."

A chuckle from the larger gem. "It comes with the make, naturally." she teased. "But honestly, boy; you have more on your plate than you should. Don't forget that besides leading them, you are still a child. That in itself is so easy to forget for your kind, it seems."

Steven nodded his head. "Thanks, Spirit Quartz. I think I needed to hear that."

"Good. Now, may I meet the rest of your group? This Peridot sounds like quite a character."

"Sure!"

Steven and Spirit made their way to the barn. Spirit seemed particularly intrigued by the various decorations and "meepmorps" by Peridot. She smiled, delighted.

"Ah, this is the craft of a peridot, no doubt." she said. "I've always found their meticulous nature to be endearing, despite their lack of appreciation for spiritual enlightenment."

She stopped in front of the culmination of Peridot's tape recorder and ran her fingertips over it. A soft, sympathetic sound escaped her.

"Sorrow. Confusion." Spirit mused. "Ah, a flicker of curiosity."

"Hey!" Peridot was standing in the barn now, scowling. "Steven, who's this touching my stuff?" She advanced. "I don't want you - " Her eyes widened and she withered a little. "A Spirit Quartz!"

Spirit smiled when she saw her. "Ah, so you're the peridot I've heard about."

She walked up, gave Peridot a tight embrace as the gem struggled and cried out in angry protest. Once Spirit was done, she set her down and Peridot huffed with annoyance.

"Steven, can I have a word with you?" she snapped.

"Uh, okay."

Steven followed the gem outside, and Spirit simply occupied the time by observing her surroundings and occasionally commenting on what she saw. Steven looked at Peridot and frowned at her. She seemed...bothered by something.

"I don't think having a Spirit Quartz around is a good idea," Peridot told him.

"Why?"

"Because they don't just see the past, Steven. They can also understand emotions, even if someone is a master of lying. Do we really need something with that kind of power running around?"

Steven looked over his shoulder before staring at her worriedly. "Something else is bothering you. Not just Spirit."

Peridot continued to scowl until her features smoothed out. "Honestly, Steven; it's Lapis."

"What? What's wrong with Lapis?"

"Nothing! That...I know of. I mean, she seems...distant with me." Peridot looked a little hurt now, but she attempted to keep it hidden. "These passed few weeks, she's just felt...different. I don't know. Is it me?"

Steven looked worried. "Peridot, no! It can't be you! If it was, she wouldn't still be with you."

Peridot sighed. "I mean, I know I'm not the most easy gem to get along with..."

"Peridot, listen to me," Steven encouraged, "Have you stopped and talked to her?"

"Well... Well, no."

"Talk to her, Peridot. I mean, how do you know until you do?"

Peridot still seemed hesitant, but nodded. "Okay."

As if on cue, Lapis was flying overhead and landed in front of the barn. She smiled when she saw Steven.

"Hey, Steven!" she said. "What are you doing here?"

Steven gestured to Spirit, who was making her way out of the barn. "We've found the Spirit Quartz Spinel told us about. She's just meeting everyone."

Lapis looked at Spirit and held out a hand. "Hi."

Spirit didn't take the offered hand this time. She stared at Lapis in silence, an unusual change to her quick embrace with Peridot. Lapis frowned and lowered her hand.

"O-kay..." she muttered.

"Well, we should get back to the temple," Steven told them. "Jasper's really in a bad way, so we're hoping we can sort everything out."

Steven and Spirit departed. The larger gem seemed momentarily distracted by something and looked back once more at the other two.

The walk home was slow. Steven was asking many questions regarding the Diamonds as well as White Diamond's intentions. Spirit sighed quietly as he talked about how horrible she was and how many gems suffered because of her.

"Steven, it is so easy to judge someone by their actions without first understanding what brought them to that place," she explained. "I knew White Diamond... For a time."

Steven stopped and looked up at her in surprise. "You did?"

"I did. Steven, you must understand that the Diamonds could not be seen vulnerable. White Diamond was certainly put at the highest expectation of this." Spirit sighed sadly. "She wasn't just a cruel dictator as you see her, she was a victim all the same. I know that may be hard to believe, but it's true."

Steven looked surprised to hear that.

 _Spirit Quartz made her way down the halls when she heard the sound of something heavy striking against metal. Something being broken by heavy blows. Curious, she followed the noise, and found White Diamond standing before an enormous device, smashing it to bits with her scythe. Her features were ashen and her cheeks streaked with tears._

 _Spirit was stunned, but kept herself hidden when Blue quickly made her way inside the room._

 _"White! White, what are you doing?" she cried._

 _White buried her scythe in the device one final time before staggering back. Blue took her hand, feeling a tremble there._

 _"White, you're shaking..."_

 _"I failed. I do not fail, yet I failed to save her..." White's voice shook out of her like a storm and she continued to repeat it, as if she was trapped in the thought. "I do not fail... Yet...I failed to...save her..."_

 _Blue carefully put an arm around her. Tears fell from her eyes._

 _"This... I don't want it..." White whispered, "This...thing inside of me."_

 _"That's pain. You are allowed to feel it."_

 _"I WANT it out of me."_

Steven looked thoughtful for a long time. His eyes slowly widened as he contemplated Spirit's story. "That's what she does, then."

"They call it many things," Spirit told him, "Sometimes it's referred to as 'Cutting' a gem. A tiny cut. A simple thin trim and that is all it takes to keep a gem from feeling. She takes what makes a gem an individual and calls it 'freeing them'."

Steven looked confused.

 _White Pearl drifted silently up to Spirit Quartz, her perpetual smile wide and bright. One eye was sealed shut with several cracks lining that side of her face._

 _But it was wrong._

 _She floated on the tips of her toes like a marionette on strings; no change in her expression and certainly no will of her own._

"I touched her only once and..." Spirit stopped, unable to answer.

Steven frowned. "And?" he pressed.

"There was nothing," Spirit continued, sorrowfully. "Blank, empty nothingness. Everything that made that pearl what she was... Gone."

Steven shook his head. "No, that's not true!" he said, jumping to his feet. "I healed Onyx! Whatever White Diamond did to her, I was able to reverse it somehow."

"Really?" Spirit looked stunned. She smiled, hopeful now. "Then perhaps there's hope for them..."

It made Steven wonder about that. It gave him hope as well that he could help the gems - corrupted or twisted by White's Diamond's influence.


	38. Chapter Thirty-Eight: A Fool's Errand

~O~

 **Chapter Thirty-Eight: A Fool's Errand**

Howlite wandered down the street, whistling casually. She received odd stares from humans they passed by. Howlite was asking questions about Steven; she produced a holographic image of him from her watch.

"Excuse me, do you know this mud-ball?" she asked. "You seen him anywhere? No?"

Howlite stopped a man. "Hey, you. Am I not speaking the right language, here? I'm looking for a human half-breed. Can you kindly point in his general direction?"

The man frowned. "Get lost, freak."

Howlite faked a laugh. "Wow! Freak!" she said, slapping her thighs. "And they told me you humans would be easy."

The sound of children laughing made her curiously look up. She noticed two human children in the distance, happily playing together. For the moment, Howlite couldn't resist her smile. A rare, genuine smile that was followed up with a soft chuckle.

"Honestly, can someone tell me what these Rebels love about these...squirming little things?" Howlite wondered, snapping out of her reverie. "I mean, really."

"Why don't you ask us yourself?"

Howlite turned and noticed Garnet, Pearl and Jasper standing there with their weapons at the ready. She smiled, almost too cheerfully.

"Oh! You have a Seer!" she said, looking at Garnet. "I KNEW you'd find me sooner or later!"

Garnet frowned. "A Howlite. An entertainer of Homeworld." she mused. "Why would White Diamond send you? You're a performer, not a warrior."

Howlite gave a bark of laughter. Then, her voice dropped lower now, bordering on menacing. "But hey, at least I know well who I am, Rebels. I make gems laugh. I put on shows. But you?" She gestured with a sweep of her hand toward them. "You steal lives."

Jasper furrowed her brow.

"Come on! Let's have a bit of fun, yes?" Howlite hissed, jumping onto a nearby car. She raised one fist into the air. "The show must go on!"

Jasper lunged for her first, but Howlite threw her hand down and an explosion of red smoke shot up from the car roof. Jasper staggered back and the others hurried to her side, watching as the smoke dissipated, revealing Howlite had vanished.

They looked around wildly.

"Where'd she go?" Jasper growled.

A finger tapped Garnet's shoulder and she whirled, moments as Howlite swept her heel with one grand kick of her leg. Garnet punched viciously at Howlite, who flipped end over end to avoid them. Her bells jingled loudly with her erratic movements. She flipped across Garnet's back before propping herself on her shoulders, perfectly suspended there.

"Oh! Fusion, I have a joke for you; stop me if you've heard this one..." Howlite said, with a grin. "A fusion walks into a worship hall..."

Garnet scowled furiously and swung her fist, catching Howlite on the arm. The other gem wrapped her legs around her head and countered Garnet's attempted toss by flipping the larger gem through the air. Garnet quickly recovered, landed on her hands and flipped right back onto her feet.

Howlite continued with the jokes. "...Ah, as it turns out, one of the fusions is a Howlite like myself..." she said, grinning and ducking from Garnet's fists. "The fusion looks at her Diamond and says, 'Excuse me, my Diamond, but does this fusion feel a bit funny to you'?"

Garnet's scowl deepened. "This is no time for jokes!"

"You're right!" Howlite said, with a gasp of false alarm. "How stupid of me. Perhaps a visual display of comedy is in order, yes?"

She brought her mallet down and duplicate versions of herself began to appear, circling Garnet and laughing in a chorus of mockery. Garnet looked around wildly and Howlite smiled, backing away while her clones began to do battle with the fusion.

Pearl and Jasper were distracted with more of the clones, who laughed wildly at them. Pearl grunted, firing shots from her spear while Jasper drove her helmet into others.

One of the Howlite clones grinned at Garnet. "Excuse me, I have to control the other nitwits."

She wandered to three of them and swatted them with a stick. "Stand still, you fools! We have a fusion to defeat! Now, take up arms!"

Jasper had struggled with a clone and Howlite turned to her with a grin.

"Ah, yes, Jasper, is it?" Howlite said, glancing sidelong to Pearl as the other gem attempted to keep a few clones at bay. "Well, my Diamond's told me so much about you. You see, I know what you are. A warrior. The finest cut of any quartz. I mean, what could little old me do against you?"

Jasper glared at her. "You're not taking Steven."

"AND..." Howlite continued, as if she never spoke. "How could I stand against you?"

She frowned coldly and slapped Jasper across the face with the end of her mallet. Jasper lurched once with a grunt of pain and attempted to lash at her, but Howlite always kept well out of her way; she jumped and flipped with all the skill of an acrobat.

"I am an entertainer. A pitiful fool, but you will learn what true strength of will means... And the will to control others." Howlite's voice changed now, gone of all humor. Her wrist produced the same device. "Do you remember the Heartstone? And the sound weapon in Yellow Diamond's ship?"

Jasper's eyes lowered, staring at the strange device. Howlite smiled up at her. "It was originally a device of White Diamond's make. You see, she believed that all things could be controlled in the right circumstances. The will to silence a quartz soldier like yourself."

Jasper furrowed her brow, taking a step back. "White Diamond knew," she whispered. "She told you about the Heartstone..."

Howlite looked surprised for a moment, then she chuckled softly, tilting her head with a curious smile. "Oh. You really have NO IDEA, do you?"

Pearl kicked the clone across the face before turning her focus to Jasper.

Howlite looked down at the device on her wrist. "Now let me show you that even a fool like me can control a gem like you."

She pointed the device at Jasper and Pearl could only watch in horror as the sounds produced from it caused her to buckle to the ground.

"Stop!" she shouted. "What are you doing?"

Howlite smiled. "See, my Diamond has a thing when it comes to controlling wild quartz's like Jasper here; a new idea, if you will. To keep nasty little things like you on a very tight leash."

Jasper winced and clawed at her ears, rolling around on the ground while Pearl desperately tried to help her. She didn't know what to do.

"No...!" Jasper groaned. "I won't!"

Howlite smiled, impressed with the effort. "Mm, she's a hard one to crack, but the wrath of my Diamond is stronger..." she said, watching Jasper fight against the sound.

"Jasper, what's she doing?" Pearl cried, "Jasper!"

"P-Pearl...I can't..." Jasper groaned out, with great effort.

She slammed her head into the ground over and over, in a futile attempt to silence the noise that pierced the depths of her gem.

Jasper clenched her teeth, clawing at her head before she finally stilled and sat straight up. Her yellow eyes were blank, deadened by the command of the sound. Garnet punched out the final clone of Howlite and looked over at what was going on. Her eyes widened.

"Jasper!" she shouted.

Howlite chuckled. "Jasper's under my command now." she told Pearl. She pointed at her now. "And now you'll see the true test of strength; my Diamond's command over others."

Jasper turned toward Pearl and the gem's eyes widened when she began to advance. Her helmet appeared on her head.

"J-Jasper?" Pearl gasped, "Jasper, what are you doing?"

"She's no longer yours." Howlite said, with another cruel laugh. "She belongs to me."

"Jasper, please. Don't do this!" Pearl begged, clutching her spear tightly to her chest. "Don't listen to her! Fight it!"

Jasper's blank, deadened stare never wavered. She raised her fist and dove at Pearl, but was seized by Garnet. She gave a shout of effort and flipped Jasper back. Several Howlite clones appeared in a flash of her gem and she snickered, sending them forward.

"No!" Pearl shouted, desperately trying to fight back the laughing Howlite clones while Jasper started to leave with Howlite. "Jasper, please, stop! You can't!"

One Howlite clone swatted at her head, knocking her to the ground. Garnet tossed alother aside and rushed to charge at Howlite, but the gem simply produced multiple clones of herself once more. The duplicates chuckled and surrounded them. Pearl frantically shot blasts from her spear in a mad effort to reach Jasper.

"JASPER!" she shouted.

Howlite whistled calmly and laughed up at the entranced Jasper beside her. "How DO you put up with that voice?" she asked, laughing now.

O

The return home was a particularly somber one.

Everyone gathered in the living room that night while Pearl explained to them what had happened. She was anxiously determined to find Jasper at all costs. Garnet assured her that if Howlite wanted Jasper destroyed, she would have assured she'd done so right there.

Peridot seemed interested in going through a tablet of information while everyone was talking. She brought up a holographic display of a few gems before stopping at Howlite's visage. Steven sat down beside her and looked at the image curiously.

"Do you know anything about her?" he asked.

"Yeah," Peridot said. "Howlite's were designed for entertainment purposes. They're irritating by every star in the universe, but they're obsessed with approval. They need it, but won't get it."

"What do you mean?" Steven looked confused.

"Howlite's want everyone on Homeworld to love and adore them, that's how they are," Peridot continued to explain, "But they want their Diamond's approval the most; I can say I was also the same way, but Howlite's will do ANYTHING - even go beyond their purpose - to get it."

"We need to find her and snap her out of that trance Howlite has her in!" Pearl shot up from where she'd been sitting and paced around the living room.

Peridot frowned curiously. "Trance?"

"It's a device she has on her wrist," Garnet explained. "She claims she can use it to command quartz gems and place them under her spell."

Peridot seemed to think about it for a moment. "Yeah, I know what she's talking about. It's a weapon of sound that was being developed by White Diamond in an effort to keep possible renegade quartz's under control. I'd heard about it in rumor. A lot of gems questioned the morality of such a weapon."

"Well, of COURSE they would!" Amethyst snapped. "You can't just wave a magic wand and MAKE gems follow you!"

"That doesn't matter to the Diamonds, remember?" Peridot snapped. "We're disposable tools for their will. That's what it is on Homeworld."

"Regardless," Garnet rose. "Jasper can't be very far. I think if we're to find her, all quartz gems should remain home."

"Wait, I'm half human!" Steven offered. "Maybe it won't affect me!"

"Steven, we can't risk it."

"But Jasper's been taken because they want me!" Steven snapped, "And we need to rescue her! We can't hide away."

O

Jasper sat in a chair on Howlite's ship as she began to work on communicating with White Diamond. She waited eagerly with the communicator in hand before a white screen appeared. Shortly afterwards, White's visage was within view and she raised an eyebrow when she saw Howlite in the screen.

"Howlite Facet-2 Cut-4YD reporting, my Diamond!" Howlite greeted. "I'm here to tell you things have been going smoothly! The weapon you've given me has worked wonders and I - "

 _"Have you retrieved Rose Quartz for me?"_ White Diamond asked, without falter.

"Oh! Well, no, but I have the Jasper who was reported missing by Yellow Diamond!" Howlite said, turning the screen to focus on the entranced Jasper. "She can lead us to the base the rebels live! Rose wasn't with them when I - "

 _"I seem to recall asking for Rose Quartz, not a Jasper."_ White reminded her.

Howlite seemed disappointed. "But I - "

 _"I would have hoped you wouldn't disappoint me, Howlite. You were VERY eager for this task. Can you still fulfill my wishes or are you just the fool I made you to be?"_

Howlite held up two hands anxiously. "No! No, no!" she stammered, "I have Sidero with me on the ship and I'll take her too! We'll have Rose Quartz in no time!"

White brightened now. _"Good. That's what I like to hear. Report to me when you've have Rose with you."_

She canceled the video feed before Howlite could continue. She sighed and lowered her head.

"She didn't even smile. Not a single one..."

In a nearby cage, a bear-like alien was housed, sleeping soundly the entire time; it had brown and green splotches along its body and sharp, dangerous teeth. Howlite had sometimes used her pet, Sidero in her performances and the creature went with her all the time.

When she sounded distressed, it opened its eyes and looked up at her with a grumble. Howlite exhaled and slapped her thighs, depositing the communicator back into the console of her ship.

"Alright, so here we go..." she said. She pulled up a seat in front of Jasper. "Now, where do you Rebels live?"

Jasper responded, slurring her words. "A temple. In Beach City."

"Ah! Beach City. So does Rose Quartz live there?"

"Yes."

Howlite smiled her approval. "Good. Well, that wasn't hard, was it?"

She stood up and returned to her console, typing in a few keys that brought up a map of the Earth. Jasper continued sitting quietly the entire time.

"It's all about pleasing the ones we belong to," Howlite said. "Always."

 _Pre-War_

 _Era-One_

 _The performance was led by Howlite and multiple clones of herself. She comically ordered them to stand straight and not embarrass her in front of the Diamonds, who watched the show from their respective thrones. Other gems in the audience clapped and laughed._

 _"Alright, straighten up, you collection of clods!" Howlite commanded, swatting at her duplicates, "We have a show to perform!"_

 _Pink Diamond chuckled with amusement and clapped. White Diamond simply raised an eyebrow and looked quite bored._

 _Howlite appeared beside her. Then another and another. They sang and danced all the while White recoiled slightly with a disapproving frown. Pink laughed with delight and White made a face, wiping off her shoulder pauldron and rerebrace when ribbons of plastic fell on her from Howlite's appearance._

 _The gem was fond of using ribbons and smoke in her performances, that was quite obvious._

 _As happy as she was doing what she loved, White never smiled for her. Never seemed pleased._

 _So it became her obsession. Her flaw to please her became the only thing that drove her to do whatever it took to please her._

Howlite made her way into Beach City with Jasper and Sidero beside her. She noticed the temple in the distance and smiled her approval. She gave Jasper's shoulder a pat.

"Alright, good." she told her with a chuckle. "We've found them. I suppose you quartz's are good for something after all."

Once she approached the beach, she was greeted by the Crystal Gems as well as Connie and Steven. Howlite smiled with almost relief when she noticed Steven. It was there in a flash, but Steven had caught it enough to look a little confused by it.

Garnet noticed Sidero. "A gem beast!" she said, stunned.

"Now then, would we like to do this the easy way, or the FUN way?" Howlite asked, with a smirk.

The gems charged at her and Howlite laughed.

"The fun way it is then!" she hissed, producing multiple clones again.

Jasper's helmet appeared on her head and she turned to Pearl, who flinched back with pain. Howlite smirked at her and gestured to Jasper.

"Jasper, you love this pearl, don't you?" she asked.

"Yes." Jasper answered emptily.

"Would you die for her?"

Pearl withered at the question and Howlite seemed to savor every bit of it. The worst part was also knowing that White Diamond clearly watched them from the tiny camera on the collar. Jasper answered again without hesitation, still fully under the spell of the Homeworld gem.

"Yes."

"And why is that?"

"Because my life is forfeit. She is everything. I am nothing."

Howlite smirked at a distraught Pearl. "Well, I think she's decided, hasn't she?" she said. "Now, Jasper; die for your pearl."

Jasper charged for Pearl without question. Pearl ducked to avoid her fists and raised her spear to block a kick. The force sent her sliding across the sand and stumbling backwards.

"It's...just like when we first met, isn't it, Jasper?" she panted, with a weak laugh. "Remember? We were always trying to kill each other."

Jasper lunged, catching her spear and yanking it from her hands. Her wide, deadened stare fixed on Pearl and she grabbed her by the throat, pushing her hard into the sand. Amethyst quickly moved in to save her from the larger gem.

"Pearl!" she shouted.

Howlite smirked at Amethyst and pointed the device at her, releasing waves of sound that had her crumbling to the ground with screams of pain.

Pearl squeezed her eyes shut, struggling against Jasper's grip. Stevonnie moved to aid her, but Jasper swung her free hand, backhanding the fusion hard enough to send them flying. Pearl opened her eyes, groaning as she met Jasper's emotionless gaze.

"You... it's not your fault..." she mumbled, "She's making you do it. You wouldn't hurt me... you wouldn't hurt us. That's not who you are anymore."

A Howlite clone watched the scene, chuckling with amusement. "She can't hear you, little pearl. She's under my command."

Pearl ignored her, reaching up and gently touching Jasper's cheek. "Whatever you're seeing. Whatever you have going on, we can deal with it together. You don't have to feel alone, Jasper. You don't have to fight this alone."

Jasper's eyes seemed to flicker back and forth between enthralled and normal.

Pearl smiled tearfully when she noticed the internal battle going on. "That's it. You're strong, Jasper. You can fight this! Come back to me!"

Jasper's mask of apathy changed and she grimaced now, struggling within herself. Her hand loosened on Pearl's throat and she recoiled a little, hissing out her name before moving away, holding her head in two hands. Howlite raised her eyebrows, impressed by the sight.

"Wow! Still resisting!" she said, "She did tell me you were a strong one."

Jasper staggered toward her, reaching out with one hand, but Howlite turned up the settings on the device and Jasper buckled once more, struggling to resist. Howlite laughed with delight and shook her head, watching as Jasper smashed her head over and over into the sand in a futile effort to reject the noise.

Meanwhile, several clones of Howlite circled Spinel, laughing mockingly at her. She groaned uneasily, clutching her slingshot close to her chest.

"A spinel, really?" one of them sneered.

"A gem too stupid to know her own touch stump from her gravity connector?" another hissed.

Spinel pursed her lips and her eyes filled slightly. Then she scowled and furiously launched energy blasts from her slingshot directly at one of the clones. The shot caused the rest of them to vanish and the real Howlite to clutch her head with a wail of agony.

Garnet looked up in shock as Howlite clutched her face, staggering back. Spinel smiled with pride and pointed at her.

"Who's the dumb gem now?" she shouted back.

Howlite clutched her face, wailing with rage and pain. "AHH! That's not possible!" she snarled, spitting, "No one's caught the real me! NO ONE!"

Spinel laughed, feeling quite bold. "Well, I mean... I just did."

Howlite snarled again and produced several more clones. They circled Stevonnie and pointed their devices at them.

"Now, you're coming with me!" she spat. "Whether you want to or not!"

Stevonnie winced, bracing themselves for the sound.

O

Nothing.

Howlite looked confused and angry. "WHAT? How is this possible?" she gasped. "You're a quartz! You should be falling to your knees by now!"

Her comical tone had changed now; to a shrill screech of rage and confusion. She looked at Garnet and the others.

"What are they? WHAT ARE THEY? They're not gem or human!"

Stevonnie seemed bothered by this presumption given the withered grimace on their face, but Garnet spoke before they could. "Howlite, enough is enough! You can't win against us! No matter how many of you you make!"

"No!" Howlite bellowed, frantic. She shook her head rapidly, backing away as the gems advanced slowly. "No! I will NOT go back without Rose! I can't!"

Jasper struggled several moments more before she shook her head. Her eyes returned to their strong, vibrant yellow and she glared at Howlite. Taking her hand, she grabbed the device and crushed it in her hands. Howlite gave a shout, but Jasper punched her in the abdomen, sending her flying backwards into the ocean.

Sidero quickly roared out and rushed into the ocean to her. Jasper looked around wildly. She noticed Pearl and moved to help her stand.

"Pearl!" Jasper exclaimed. "Are you alright?"

Pearl nodded and rose. "I'm fine, Jasper."

Jasper's features were grave, filled with torment. "I was still aware, but I had no control..." she said, softly. "I knew what I was doing, but I - "

"Jasper, it's okay!" Pearl tried to assure her, putting her arms around her. "It's okay! It's okay..."

Howlite drifted on the surface of the water while Sidero swam toward her. She gently reached out with two hands and smiled down at her familiar. The creature's eyes focused on her, narrowed into tiny pinpricks. Howlite chuckled gently, stroking the animal's face.

"She'd be angry with us, wouldn't she?" she asked.

Howlite could hear the sounds of Stevonnie unfusing and she noticed the two unfused figures making their way toward Jasper and Pearl. They didn't seem interested in her any more. For the moment. They would surely come and ruin her the way they ruined so many Homeworld gems.

Howlite's eyes widened and she turned in the water, clutching Sidero's face so gently. The bear shut his eyes for the moment as she touched her forehead to his.

The others looked up in shock at the sight of Howlite beginning to fuse with Sidero. Pearl's eyes widened and she gave an alarmed gasp. Jasper furrowed her brow, clenching her fists.

"She...She's fusing..." Pearl exclaimed, "...with her gem beast?"

The glowing mass of two fusing beings lit up the sky before vanishing into the ocean waters. Everything that followed was silent for several long, tense minutes.

"Maybe she's gone?" Steven suggested, smiling weakly at the others.

Another bright glow resonated from the ocean before an enormous claw shot up. Those on the beach could only watch in shock as a new gem form rose up from the water with a deep, unsettling chuckle.

Unlike most gem fusions they'd seen, this one looked more animal in appearance. She bore a resemblance to Howlite; the same jingling bells, dark uniform and eyes. But she was larger, her arms ending in huge clawed hands and her legs dangerous talons.

"Oh no." Spinel muttered, warily. "This isn't good."

The fusion looked right at them and opened her mouth, letting out a loud, powerful roar that sent waves upon waves at the group. They were forced back by the strength of it and the windows of the temple were shattered.

Jasper shielded her eyes with one arm and looked up with a startled sound when the fusion was upon them almost instantly. She reached out, swiped up Spinel, Amethyst and Pearl up with one massive hand and...

...began to juggle them.

"What the..." Steven cried. "Is she juggling them?!"

The fusion grinned toothily down at the helpless gems as they bounced wildly in her claws.

"Put them down!" Garnet ordered, "NOW!"

"Okay!" the fusion hissed.

She tossed the three gems hard, sending them flying through the air. Jasper jumped quickly, grabbing Pearl in one hand and Spinel in the other. Garnet jumped and caught Amethyst, moments as the large Homeworld fusion charged them.

Pearl and Jasper took each other's hands and formed Carnelian. Immediately, both enormous fusions collided with each other, grappling in the sand. Carnelian looked toward Steven and Connie, struggling to fend off the Homeworld fusion's snapping teeth.

"Go!" she shouted. "Spinel, get them off of the beach!"

Spinel saluted them and scooped both humans into her arms. "Hold on, little humans!" she yelled.

In a blur of pink, she quickly rushed away, moments as the Homeworld fusion was thrown into the ocean with a brutal fling of Carnelian's arms. Another glow beside them and Sugilite was suddenly there, grinning and cracking her fingers.

"Hey! Carnelian!" she shouted. "Save some Homeworld clod for me!"

Carnelian chuckled and gave Sugilite a playful punch before both gem fusions stood at the ready, watching as the Homeworld fusion rose from the water.

"Come on, Homeworld crust!" Sugilite taunted, flexing her arms. "Try and control ME!"

The Homeworld fusion smiled and gave a deep, menacing chuckle. She looked toward Carnelian and spoke evenly.

"You still see it, don't you?" she asked. "The sin that haunts you the most. You're the same as me, Jasper. It's just easier to hide it, isn't it? After all, it's what we deserve."

Carnelian grimaced a very Jasper grimace. Pearl spoke more through the fusion now.

"Jasper, it's okay... Hold it together..."

The fusion smiled, quite unfazed by being outmatched. "Alright, let's give Homeworld the show of a lifetime!" she bellowed.

O

Sugilite charged, swinging her flail. The Homeworld fusion jumped, running along the weapon before spinning through the air and kicking Sugilite in the face. The blow knocked her visor off and the Homeworld fusion laughed, leaping and bouncing from her.

She began to shimmy, arms outstretched at her sides. "Haha! Aww, come on! You can do better than that!" she sneered.

Sugilite snarled with effort. "Oh, I'll SHOW you just what I got!"

Carnelian started forward, but stopped.

"Jasper, what is it?"

"I know. I know how we might get through to her."

"Really? Without fighting?"

"Oh, we'll still fight. Make no mistake about that. But I know one of her weak spots."

Sugilite swung her flail, kicked out her legs all the while the Homeworld fusion ducked and danced, taking her less seriously than she should have. It only served to enrage Sugilite, who was constantly kicked and tossed into the sand.

"Hey! Howlite!" Carnelian shouted. "A word!"

The Homeworld fusion crouched over Sugilite, smiling wickedly. "Is it sorry?" she asked.

Carnelian's gaze narrowed.

The Homeworld fusion advanced, stepping over Sugilite's shoulders to approach Carnelian. Sugilite started to advance, but Carnelian raised a hand and surreptitiously shook a finger at her. Sugilite frowned, blinking in confusion.

"I know why you did it." Carnelian told the Homeworld fusion, "I get it."

The Homeworld fusion's smile disappeared only a fraction. "What do you mean?" she asked, suspiciously. "Did what?"

"Put yourself out there for her," Carnelian continued, with a frown, "I understand. Yeah, you had me under your control, but I could still hear everything. You wanted to make her smile, do anything to please her. Even if it was the most horrible thing you could think of."

The Homeworld fusion snarled now, clearly affected by her words. "Shut up."

Carnelian smirked at her, raising her fists. "Let's dance, Bozo."

The two fusions charged for each other. Carnelian kicked out her multiple legs, wrapping them around the Homeworld fusion's body and sending them falling to the ground.

"UGH! You stupid, insolent brat!" the Homeworld fusion snarled. "Who do you think you're talking to?"

Carnelian grinned down at her. "Not a comedian, that's for sure."

That seemed to enrage the Homeworld fusion because she slammed her head into Carnelian's dislodging her. The fusion flipped backwards, glaring furiously at Carnelian as she stood up.

Carnelian smirked. "I knew it. I was right. You only did this to get a smile or two out of White Diamond," she said, "I got news for you, Howlite; she has no sense of humor. She wouldn't laugh at your stupid jokes if you payed her!"

"Shut up!" the Homeworld fusion shouted, charging for her.

Sugilite started to laugh. "Aww, I think you hurt her feelings, Carnelian!" she sneered.

Carnelian ducked from a flurry of kicks from the Homeworld fusion. She shot Sugilite a look. "Sugilite, I can handle this!"

She grabbed the Homeworld fusion's arm as she lunged, catching her in a gruesome headlock before frowning down at her.

"Enough. Stop fighting it." she ordered. "White Diamond is only using you to further her own agenda. She doesn't care if you live or die. I know something about this, Howlite. You would have done anything and taken any beating - Stars, even LOVE it sometimes - if it meant you earn favor."

Carnelian's features smoothed out sadly. It was clear who was speaking the most through the fusion given the very Jasper-ish expression.

"Bad attention is better than none at all, right?" she continued. "That's why we always do anything for them. So we can forget our failures. So we can finally earn redemption."

The Homeworld fusion grunted, struggling against her before separating into Sidero and Howlite. Howlite looked around, seemingly disoriented.

More static.

Howlite's wide, unsettled gaze wandered and it began to confuse the others. Jasper approached and seized Howlite by her uniform, lifting her up off of the ground.

"Now, tell us what you know before I make your disappearance easier." Jasper commanded.

Howlite laughed, her head rolling on her shoulders. "Oh please. Don't you see what's happening already?" She grinned, mockingly and proud. "A storm is coming. I just hope you're ready for it."

She continued to laugh and Jasper scowled, shaking her. "Hey! What do you mean 'a storm'?" she demanded.

"Believe what you want, Jasper; I've done my part," Howlite said, laughing softly. "I've done what she wanted. I was the test subject to her plan. I've made her proud at last. At LAST."

She giggled constantly now and Jasper grimaced, dropping the gem to the ground. The laughter continued for a few minutes more and Howlite's grin eventually disappeared, replaced with a look of pain. Her laughter transformed into soft sobs and tears streamed down her cheeks.

Steven was making his way toward her before anyone could stop him. He put his arms around the gem and the others made startled sounds.

"Steven, wait!" Pearl cried.

Steven ignored her and gave Howlite a tight embrace. He didn't know what compelled him to do it; she had tried to take him away, back to White Diamond. She had done everything to warrant defeat, but he had only wanted to hold her.

She didn't react to the embrace. She acted as if Steven was no longer there.

"I did good..." Howlite laughed, still crying, "I did what she wanted..."

Steven began to cry with her.

"So why am I crying?" Howlite asked, staring skyward. "Why doesn't it feel good?"

Sidero draped himself across Howlite's lap and huffed softly. She continued to cry. Jasper frowned and knelt down beside Howlite.

"Howlite." she began.

Howlite lifted her eyes to Jasper. They were wide, distant and empty. She managed a small hiccup and grinned at her.

"H-Howlite's not here right now." she said, choking out her words. "If you have a party planned, please deliver the appropriate request to her manager, Crazy Lace Agate."

She managed a giggle.

"Howlite!" Jasper spat, more insistent.

"Howlite's not here right now." Howlite repeated, completely gone. "If you have a party planned, please deliver the appropriate request to her manager, Crazy Lace Agate."

Steven looked at her worriedly and noticed that she wasn't looking at any of them anymore. She continued to repeat that phrase over and over, tears still soaking her cheeks. She was gone. She had snapped.

"We can't leave her like this. Howlite!" Connie was there, trying to help the gem regain her senses, "Howlite, please..."

The gem continued to repeat the phrase as if she was a broken record.

"We need to poof her. She's beyond our help," Pearl said, quietly.

No one saw fit to argue with her. Instead, Jasper stood up before Howlite and reached up to her forehead, toward her gem.

A harsh twist and her form was dispelled. Sidero laid down beside the gemstone while the others could only watch.

"So what do we do with him?" Pearl asked Garnet.

"Gem beats don't need food or sleep." Garnet reminded her. "We should let him stay with her."

And that was how it went; Sidero was bubbled into the room with Howlite's gem cradled in his great paws. Jasper stood alone, watching the bubbled creature with a frown.

Eventually, Pearl entered the room and looked up at her. "Are you going to talk about what's been going on with you?" she asked, evenly.

Jasper murmured half-heartedly. She'd been distracted by Howlite's words. The thought of near threat approaching like a storm was just part of being a warrior. Of course, this wasn't news; she was aware that White Diamond would send many more. But it was the odd way that Howlite had phrased it that bothered her most, as well as the fact that she had come back from corruption with the same issues as Jasper.

And also, she had fused with her gem beast, something Jasper had never seen before. Her last words had been "Let's be whole again". It was just too much to think about.

"A part of being together is taking the good with the bad, Jasper. Remember, we're in this hand-in-hand. I don't want you to forget that."

"It's not that."

"Then what is it?"

Jasper thought about how the human she'd helped on the highway had talked about it. She remembered how he'd assured her that loving someone meant dealing with issues together. It didn't make you weak. But she was a quartz. She should have been able to soldier through these burdens.

She sighed. "I don't know..."

Pearl looked disappointed by the answer, but only for a moment. She took her larger hand in hers and gently kissed her arm.

"It's alright, Jasper. We'll figure this out together." she assured her.

Jasper murmured an affirmative.


	39. Chapter Thirty-Nine: Fusion Course

~O~

 **Chapter Thirty-Nine: Fusion Course**

"Do you think I can do this? I don't think I can do this."

Spinel was worried that morning. She was nervous and Garnet could tell from her pacing. She stood up, set two hands on Spinel's shoulders and the other gem immediately tensed.

"Spinel, it's okay to be nervous," she said, "But if you really don't want to do this now, you can always wait."

"No, I want to do it now," Spinel said, determined. "I want to fuse. For Amethyst and for me."

Garnet studied her for a moment before nodding. "Alright. I'll be with you two should you need me."

Spinel nodded her head in response. She smiled, relieved to hear that. After all, she knew that Garnet had the most experience and knowledge when it came to fusion. She would definitely feel alright with her being nearby for advice.

Once outside in front of the temple, Spinel was stretching a few times, all the while Amethyst watched her with a mixture of confusion and curiosity. The tall gem glanced back at her, grinning as she pulled her arm over her shoulder.

"Just…limbering up." Spinel called over to her. "Gotta stretch out the ol' gem form!"

Amethyst sighed, slouched her shoulders and walked up, taking a spot beside her.

"Spinel, listen to me," she said, gently, "I know you said you wanted to try this now, but you seem really nervous."

Spinel flashed a sheepish grin and shook her head, determined to convince her otherwise. "Me? No! I'm not nervous! Not even a little!"

Amethyst raised an eyebrow. "Dude."

Spinel continued to grin for a moment before she sighed, grimacing. "Sorry. I AM nervous. I mean, what if we fuse and we mess up? I'll probably be because of me."

Amethyst laughed and gave her a soothing pat to her shoulder. "Hey! We won't mess up. It's us, okay?" She smiled when Spinel managed a timid smile in response. "Plus, if we do? Well, we'll deal with that. It's us. So it won't be bad. I know it."

Spinel seemed to think about that. She glanced at Amethyst, read the encouragement on her face and nodded .She straightened and smiled now, determined.

"I'm ready." she said.

Amethyst brightened. "Yeah! Alright!"

"So…should I go first or…?"

Amethyst chuckled, taking her hand. Spinel looked startled for a moment, then her cheeks darkened a deep pink and she managed a nervous giggle. Amethyst - in spite of her smaller size, gently turned and spun the taller gem in a peculiar new dance the others hadn't seen before from Amethyst.

It was slow - much too slow from Amethyst. But it was also careful and gentle.

Garnet watched from the sidelines, smiling and flashing a thumbs up when they looked toward her. Spinel looked at Amethyst now, blushed a deeper shade of pink and the pair giggled.

There was a glow from both of their gems and Garnet watched as both began to fuse. It was an erratic melding of rippling light - pink and violet that grew, morphing into an entirely new shape.

O

She was tall, lanky and spider-like in build with a protruding belly. She wore a thin, purple body-suit with ripped ruffles at the waist. Her knees bore the star-markings of the Crystal Gems. Her long, four arms also had Spinel's signature pink markings.

Four bright pink eyes and a shield that protected them with a winged crest along the crown of her head. Her shoulder-length pink hair was wild, framing her startled, rounded features.

The fusion laughed, then, her face lit up with shock. "Whoa! Whoa!" she exclaimed, stumbling backwards.

Garnet raised two hands and approached. "Spinel? Amethyst?" she said, "Are you alright?"

The fusion grinned and nodded. She looked at herself, running her hands over her sides and face.

"I - I did it!" the fusion exclaimed, with an excited grin. It was clear who was speaking most. "I actually fused! I fused without messing up!"

Pearl and Steven were walking out of the temple. The moment Steven saw the new fusion, he grinned and whooped, running onto the beach to meet her. Pearl looked equally surprised.

"So, Spinel and Amethyst finally fused, huh?" she said, looking at Garnet.

The fusion laughed gleefully, wrapping her four arms around her waist. She fell backwards with a crash, causing Steven to bounce a bit in the sand with a giggle.

"I can't believe I actually fused for the first time!" the fusion exclaimed. She abruptly sat up and looked at Garnet. "Garnet! Did you see? I fused without messing up!"

Garnet laughed a bit. She couldn't help but smile wide at the fusion's excitement. "Yes, Spinel. I see."

"We did it," the lower set of eyes seemed to brighten and it was clear that Amethyst spoke now through the fusion. "And Spinel?"

"Yeah?"

"I still like you."

The fusion grinned and made the happiest squealing sound.

Then, she stood up, her legs shaking a little in the process. Almost falling a few times, she finally found balance. Steven looked up at her now, patting her leg.

"Hey! So what's it like being fused, Spinel?" he asked.

The fusion seemed to think about that. Her two sets of eyes wandered. "It's…weird. But a good weird. I feel like I'm here but…not…" She blinked now, confused but happy. "I mean, I'm a fusion now."

Then, she grinned and giggled, running down the beach with several thunderous steps that shot sand everywhere. Her hands were in the air. The others watched, amused as the fusion tripped once, falling flat on her face before she got right back up and continued to run.

Steven followed behind her and the other two eventually joined. Before Garnet knew it, she was scooped up into those four arms. She laughed and gave the fusion a playful punch.

"So, what should we call you now?" Steven asked, looking up at her, a starstruck smile on his face.

The fusion set Garnet down and began to think. She tapped her chin with one hand and leaned her head on her other. Her face slowly lit up with dawning realization.

"Morganite!" she finally said, with a broad smile of absolute pride, "We're Morganite!"

"Morganite, huh?" Pearl mused. "Well, that's a good choice for you two."

Morganite stood up and danced a little in place. "I gotta run! Ooh! I gotta run, you guys!"

"Um, alright," Pearl said, a little taken aback by her sudden energy. "Well, just be safe."

Garnet nodded her head and approached Morganite. "Just remember that you two are an experience," she told them, "A good one. Share in that experience together."

Morganite blinked all four eyes, surprised by the advice. Then, she smiled and understood.

"Thanks, Garnet." she said.

She began to run off of the beach - pacing herself slowly in comparison to Spinel as she was made.

"Should we follow?" Pearl suggested, looking at Garnet. "Just to make sure they're fine?"

"They'll be alright, Pearl." Garnet watched Morganite rushing away, "They need to do this themselves."

O

A bird passed overhead in the clouds.

Morganite jogged after it, laughing breathlessly and excitedly. She finally collapsed onto the grass, watching the passing clouds and bright blue sky. She was quiet for the longest time.

Finally, the two gems making up the fusion spoke back and forth.

"Hey, Spinel?"

"Yeah?"

"Why were you so worried I wouldn't like you?"

Morganite blinked, the lower eyes widening sheepishly in a Spinel-like grimace. She exhaled a bit and one set of arms toyed with her fingers.

"I worry a lot, Amethyst. That's me. Spinel, 5-3F2 Cut-6FP…the Worrying Messenger from the Epsilon Kindergarten."

"Yeah, I know. I just want you to…you know, know that I'm here for you. You don't have to worry all the time. I'm not like those gems."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry."

Morganite took a moment before she sat up. She began to walk slowly now, focused on a new goal. "Hey, I wanna show you something."

Amethyst spoke through the fusion. "Really?"

"My Kindergarten. I think you'll like it."

"Sure. Okay."

The fusion wandered until she found a nearby warp pad swathed in vines. She tore several of them off of it and stepped back a bit, scratching her head.

"Still think this one works?"

"Let's find out."

Stepping onto it, she gave it a tap of her heel and the fusion was warped immediately to a forgotten castle deep in the woods. Amethyst spoke more through the fusion, amazed by the sight of it.

"Whoa."

It was made up entirely of glass; broken shards and statues lined the path leading to the main door; statues of Pink Diamond and other messengers were posed around it. She stopped in front of one, running her hands over one of them bearing Pink Diamond's visage.

"I've never been here before."

"This is where I was made. This…well…this is where I lived. With my sisters. You know. Before..."

"Yeah..."

"It used to be home. It's weird how quiet it seems now."

Morganite entered the castle and her eyes focused on a small bird-like statue lying on the floor. She eagerly rushed toward it and picked it up. Pressing a small button on the side allowed for the beak to part and play a little chirping sound that croaked once before singing clearly.

Morganite giggled quietly, amazed. "I can't believe it's still here. My manager gave this to me. She used to get frustrated when I would wander out to look at the Earth animals."

She dusted some rubble aside with one hand before sitting down on the floor, watching the small statue as it played the sound over and over for her.

"So, you really lived here?" Amethyst spoke through the fusion now.

"Yep. Just my manager Musgravite and my sisters. It was a good place away from everything else. It was special and I… I wanted it to be special for you, too."

Morganite ran her hands across the little bird. A quiet laugh escaped her - from Amethyst.

"It's awesome, Spinel. I'm glad you brought us here."

"Really? I thought you'd think it was silly."

"Dude, I lived in a canyon after I popped out and talked to rocks. This ain't nothing."

A giggle. "I guess so."

Morganite stood up now, her eyes wandering around the empty castle; a place once filled with hundreds of spinels. She laughed quietly.

"Can we stay here for a little?"

"Sure."

Morganite made a happy Spinel sound and sat down, just listening to the soft chirp from the little statue.

 _"I don't like your face!"_

 _Spinel stood calmly before Musgravite; the large gem who commanded them. She looked almost similar to Holly Blue Agates, but she wore a face screen and her hair was curly._

 _Spinel continued to smile and tilted her head at the yell._

 _"Why?" she asked._

 _Musgravite furrowed her brow, taken by the response. Then, she glanced at the other spinels, who seemed surprised by Spinel's words._

 _"Spinel 5-3F2 Cut-6FP! You are a messenger! You do not speak unless spoken to!"_

 _Spinel lowered her eyes. "Okay."_

 _And she didn't speak again._

Amethyst could see the memories that Spinel shared with her from this place. She knew how open the other gem was about her past and how she had been seen as a lower gem for her intelligence.

She began to notice more and more that with every memory, Musgravite had grown less cold toward her and more curious by Spinel's behavior.

 _That evening, Musgravite watched Spinel wander in the woods to explore the Earth wildlife. She frowned thoughtfully and watched her, eventually following behind her._

 _Spinel observed a butterfly and smiled, lifting her hand to let it rest on her finger. She grinned happily and studied it before she sensed Musgravite's presence. Turning, she gave a start and saluted her._

 _"What are you doing out here, Cut-6FP?" Musgravite asked, evenly._

 _"I-I was just looking!" Spinel stammered, suddenly looking quite small. "I didn't - I mean..."_

 _Musgravite held up a hand to calm her. "Hush. Just take a seat."_

 _Spinel glanced down at the place the larger gem gestured to; a glass bench big enough for both of them. Spinel toyed with her hands and Musgravite watched her with a sigh._

 _"I don't like this." she finally said. "I don't like being in this position."_

 _Spinel looked up at her worriedly._

 _"You spinels... I am tasked with keeping you in line. I am devoted to that task no matter what." Musgravite continued, hesitantly. "But I have watched you leave this place every night when your sisters are resting. There's a wonder to you that I don't see."_

 _Spinel made a nervous chuckle in response. "I like the woods." she explained. "They're nice. I - Oh! I'm sorry. I spoke before you told me to."_

 _She hit herself on the head with her hand and Musgravite shook her head, scowling and stopping her hand. "No, stop it. Don't do that."_

 _"But... I'm a stupid gem. I'm supposed to."_

 _"No! No, I mean..." Musgravite sighed heavily through her nose. She seemed conflicted now, uncertain of how to properly phrase her words. "No, you're not supposed to do that. I don't want you to do that...anymore."_

 _"Why?"_

Morganite glanced down in surprise, stunned to see Coco Puffs sitting there before her, tail flicking back and forth with a few soft sounds coming from her smaller body.

The fusion reached down to pick her up, studying the corrupted gem.

"You remember, don't you? You remember what happened here."

Coco Puffs jumped from her hand, paced around the empty building before quietly growling. Morganite looked startled by the reaction. Was it possible that the corrupted gem's memories were there somewhere?

"You tried to help her."

Coco Puffs grumbled, chewing at a small piece of rubble. Morganite shut her eyes and the gems between the fusion spoke together.

"She tried to protect you, didn't she?"

"...Yeah..."

 _An Agate slapped the toy from the spinel's hands, knocking it to the ground with a loud shatter. The spinel raised her hands to her face once the gem was ready to strike her, but the Agate's wrist was viciously seized by the crack of a whip that wrapped around her._

 _"What?" the Agate cried, looking over and spotting Musgravite standing there with her whip clutched tight._

 _"You will not hit my gems in my house." she growled out._

 _The Agate glared at her, yanked the whip from her wrist. Musgrative glanced back at Spinel, who had watched the scene from afar._

 _"Cut-6FP! Take Cut-7FP to your room." she ordered._

 _Spinel nodded, quickly making her way to her sister spinel's side. She helped her stand and the two walked back toward the glass castle. Spinel looked over her shoulder and watched Musgravite and the Agate arguing with one another._

 _Once the two were indoors, they could see Musgravite and the Agate yelling at one another. The glass muffled their voices entirely, but words were exchanged, fingers pointed and even a few shoves were made. But Musgravite seemed to gesture to the castle, then to herself._

"They told her she had to make us feel lesser to other gems. But she didn't want to anymore."

"What happened to her?"

Morganite sighed a Spinel sigh. "I don't know. She was corrupted by the Diamond weapon, but I don't know what happened before that."

Morganite looked down at Coco Puffs now, Amethyst speaking more from the fusion.

"We'll find out. One day."

O

Steven was thinking about Howlite.

He watched her gem housed in the pink bubble and thought about what had happened to her. How could White Diamond have allowed a gem to become so desperate for her love and attention, just to keep her from it? Steven knew that Yellow and Blue were awful, but White? She was something else entirely.

Poor Howlite.

He didn't know how to help her right now, but he wanted to.

Once he walked outside, Steven was surprised to see Carnelian and Morganite locked in combat on the beach. He gasped, quickly running to avoid the fusions in battle. Garnet was calmly watching from the sidelines and he quickly made his way over to her, avoiding a spray of sand.

"Garnet!" Steven exclaimed, "What are they doing?"

Garnet looked down at him. "Carnelian wanted to teach Morganite a few fighting moves. But..."

Morganite was flipped flat on her back with a loud, thunderous crash and spray of sand. She groaned, laying there with her limbs at her sides.

"Okay..." she gasped. "I SEE where I went wrong."

"Morganite." Carnelian said, helping her stand by hoisting the other fusion to her feet. "You jump before you think. You have to find focus."

Morganite grimaced, fidgeting with her four hands. "I know! I know."

"You will learn to find a weapon within you," Carnelian continued to explain, circling the other fusion. "Spinel? I know you have doubts. But your fusion cannot hold itself together through doubt. You must find unity within yourself."

Morganite nodded her head with a smile. "Okay! Okay, I think I'm ready now."

She shut her eyes and held out all four of her hands. The two gemstones that made up the fusion began to glow. The others watched them. Amethyst's whip appeared, then Spinel's slingshot. They combined in a flow of glowing light in her hands and she beamed happily.

It formed a mallet with one rubber end and one hard, metal end. It was strangely smaller compared to most of the weapons a fusion of Amethyst consisted of.

"Oh!" Morganite grinned happily. "I did it! We did it!"

"Focus, Morganite!" Carnelian barked.

Morganite froze where she stood and straightened. Then, a butterfly floated passed her face and she watched it with a mixture of awe and delight. She immediately wandered after it and Carnelian sighed with dismay, covering her face with one hand.

Steven laughed, approaching the fusion.

"Well, we can assume that a fusion between Amethyst and Spinel is a distracted one." Carnelian murmured.

"No, I don't think so." Steven said, watching the fusion happily chatter. "They are distracted, sure. But I think it's because they're focused so much on each other. They don't see anything else."

Carnelian thought about that before she smiled and made a thoughtful sound. "Hmm, maybe so."

 _Musgravite was resting on a chair overlooking the woods. She opened her eyes when she noticed Spinel watching her, awaiting something._

 _"Sit." she said._

 _Spinel nodded and took a seat on the floor. Musgravite shook her head and gestured to the chair beside her, normally reserved for other higher caste gems._

 _"No. Not on the floor. There."_

 _Spinel looked surprised, but took a seat as she was told._

 _"I was told today that you wandered off and put on a tourmaline's cloak. Tell me the truth of this."_

 _Spinel stammered now, uncertain of how to answer. Musgravite stared at her and sighed. "I'm not angry. Just tell me what happened."_

 _So Spinel explained everything to her, but didn't mention how they had made her cry afterwards. The entire time, Musgravite listened to her and tapped her fingers against the arm rests._

 _"This isn't how it should be." she said, softly. "We shouldn't be treating gems like you any lesser than these organic lives. And yet, here we are. Here I am."_

 _A moment of silence fell between them._

 _"I have something for you. My wandering Messenger."_

 _Spinel looked astounded when Musgravite reached down and retrieved a little statue of a bird. It looked as if it had been made brand new. She didn't know if she should take it, but Musgravite placed it into her hands anyway. Spinel stared at the little thing, amazed and at a loss for words._

 _"I had a Flint commission that for me. What she knows is nothing, which is all she should know." Musgravite replied. "I had it made for you. In any event that you feel compelled to wander."_

 _"I..."_

 _"What happened today is a fine example of it." Musgravite continued, staring sadly down at her. "Those gems out there? The ones who feel so less of you? They misunderstand what you are."_

 _Spinel felt her eyes filling._

 _It wasn't fair._

 _"Now then. That is all. Off with you."_

 _Spinel stood up and made her way back inside. She was welcomed by the rest of her sisters, who chatted excitedly over the gift given to her._

Morganite ran through the woods with Coco Puffs running at her side.

One day, she would help her the same way the gem had.

One day.

O

 _Note -_ The end of this chapter was inspired by "Tomorrow" by Alicia Morton. This kinda was a little filler chapter.


	40. Chapter Forty: Promise to the Dead

~O~

 **Chapter Forty: Promise to the Dead**

Garnet, Pearl, Jasper and Steven made their way into a temple. Garnet explained the details of the temple to the others, all the while Jasper piped up with knowledge of her own.

"This temple was used for training - " Garnet began.

" - For gems who guarded the Diamond's." Jasper piped up.

Garnet made a face. "Yes, Jasper. Now as I was saying..."

Steven made his way toward a pillar that housed the fragments of a broken spear. He picked one up, turned it in his hands for study.

"The human news states that the appearance of the strange shadow was here, at this location," Pearl said. "Still, perhaps it could simply be a bear. Humans have quite a bit of tall tales surrounding animals."

"Bear or no bear, we can't afford to risk ignoring the humans' concerns." Garnet reminded her. "It could be a corrupted gem."

Steven wasn't listening much to their conversation. Instead, he held up the spear with a smile. "Guys!" he said, "Check this out!"

Pearl made her way over to his side and took the shard, studying it. "Hm, this spear belonged to a Topaz." she told him. "I wonder how it ended up here. This temple was specifically used for worship. You won't find many weapons in it."

Pearl studied the shard for a few moments more, her features suddenly pensive. Steven looked at her, curious by the abrupt change. He could hear Garnet and Jasper talking behind him, arguing about gem history.

"...I am much older than you!" Jasper hissed.

"Hardly that much." Garnet argued calmly.

"Pearl?" Steven looked at her worriedly. "What's wrong?"

Pearl ran her fingertips over the pillar, coming back free of dust. She rubbed her fingers together and looked around the chamber.

"This room's been cleaned recently." she said.

Steven backed up, knocking himself into a pillar. He caused a sword to fall from it and it clattered to the ground loud enough to echo richly in the temple. The sound caused everyone to immediately silence themselves and look around for a long, tense moment.

"What's...all this noise?"

A thick, heavily accented voice filled the temple and the gems turned, weapons at the ready. They spotted a gem stepping into the room, clutching a thick coil of chain around one blue hand; a hand that ended in dangerous, claw-like nails. She had large arms covered in strings of green markings much like Jasper's.

She was dressed in dark green robes that draped over her shoulders and ended in tattered, frayed ribbons; beneath that was a uniform that donned Blue Diamond's markings on her chest. Her eyes were green and she had short, wispy hair; those eyes looked sunken, almost as if she were exhausted. It reminded Steven of someone who had gone days without sleep.

And she stepped forward, with the chain tightly in hand; a corrupted gem moved behind her. The sight was frightening and made the others react with a series of soft, stunned gasps.

"Well, we have some company, it would seem." she said, smiling.

Her smile was wrong. It seemed to be happy, but it made her eyes glitter with a strange desperation that had only come from Jasper moments before her own downward spiral into madness. A gem had been situated over her chest. A Turquoise.

A familiar one at that.

Pearl reacted somewhat at the sight of her.

The corrupted gem at the gem's side still crawled on humanoid limbs, but her head had been transformed into a hideous, frightening set of jaws without eyes; a twisted and painful skull. Turquoise smiled down at her and didn't seem bothered when the corruption wrapped her arms and legs around one of her legs. There was strange affection there.

"You'll have to forgive Beryl." Turquoise said, with a rumbling chuckle. "She...hasn't been herself lately. But I keep her on a tight leash. To protect her and others. Beryl? Introduce yourself to our guests. It's all right."

The gem - Beryl - lifted her head and simply game a rumbling moan in response. Her jaws dripped with saliva and long, red ribbons of hair danced around her head.

Steven's eyes widened in horror, but he tried to be polite either way. "H-Hello, Beryl." he stammered.

For once, even Jasper had no words to what she was seeing. She was oddly silent, only staring with shock. So here on Earth were more gems free of corruption? It made no sense.

"Pearl? Who is this?" Garnet asked, looking at the unsettled gem at her side.

"You don't know who we are..." A near curious tilt of Turquoise's head. "Sapphire?" She spoke for Pearl, smiling. She pet Beryl with one free hand, a soothing gesture. "We both existed in Blue Diamond's court, after all."

Garnet recoiled a little, being addressed by one of the gems that made up her fusion felt strange to her.

Turquoise looked at Pearl now and her smile disappeared for a moment. "I remember you." she said, a small puff of smoke billowing from her blue, cracked lips. "Rose Quartz's pearl. The one who led the rebellion. The one who led us to 'freedom'."

Steven's eyes widened. "Wait, you're gems from the rebellion?"

Turquoise nodded, still petting Beryl's head. "That's right, little crossbreed. We were the gems of Rose Quartz's army."

"How is that possible?" Garnet demanded.

Turquoise gestured above her. "This place raced deep within the Earth. It protected me." she explained. She quickly glanced down at Beryl, swallowing thickly as if it took an effort to speak. "I only survived as I am because it was Beryl who ensured that I did. And so I must protect them. From those who poke their little noses where they don't belong."

She cast a cold, hard gaze to them now. "The one who told us to stay here. To wait for her. She would come back for us once it was safe. Do you know how long we were waiting?"

Pearl withered slightly. "Turquoise, I didn't know she told you to wait for us."

"No, of course not. Rose Quartz wouldn't do anything wrong," Turquoise rumbled, gently stroking Beryl's head. "But would she lie? How well did you know your leader. OUR LEADER? How well would she protect us? Petalite? Red Tourmaline? Zircon? Moonstone. Ah yes, I remember Moonstone."

Every gem there reacted to the names. Jasper saw images of Petalite flash through her mind. The Red Tourmaline who had fought with her in the Fun House.

Every gem they had faced thus far knew Turquoise.

And Turquoise knew Pearl.

"We've waited. They told us to wait." Turquoise continued, her features smoothing out. Filled with sorrow now. "Even after the Diamonds did what they did. We followed our orders. As we were made for."

Steven reacted, remembering the gem who had repeated the same phrase.

 _"I tried to wait. They told us to wait."_

Jasper spoke now, demanding answers. "What do you talking about?"

Turquoise looked at her. Smiled widely. "Ahhh. They didn't tell you, did they?"

Jasper frowned.

"The Diamonds corrupted all of us. In their effort to flee from this planet and protect Homeworld. So they claimed, I'm certain." Turquoise told her, "All of us. Rebels and even gems who served them fell to their selfishness. All of us were to be destroyed for the sake of saving not Homeworld, but themselves. You of all of us should understand such a thing."

Jasper looked stunned by her words.

"I am surprised you weren't aware," Turquoise continued, chuckling. "After all, were you not in the war? Did you not fight for the sake of Homeworld? How are you to know that they wouldn't have corrupted you had you not left in time?"

Jasper looked at Pearl and she said nothing. She just stared back gravely.

She would get answers.

"As a Turquoise, I was sworn to the blade," Turquoise continued, taking the chain that housed Beryl and circling it around an enormous statue. She gave the gem a passing touch to her swollen throat. "Sworn to my duty to protect the gem I was assigned to - my Beloved. But Rose Quartz told me I could do so much more."

Beryl moaned, a long and pitiful plea; she eventually began reaching for her with two long arms of claw when she stepped away. Turquoise looked at her, smiling sadly.

"It's okay, my love. I won't leave you. I'm going to keep us safe, remember?" she said.

The sight made the others watch in confused, shocked silence. Steven reacted with sympathy, especially when Turquoise smiled gently, returning to embrace Beryl. The touch seemed intimate, as if the two were - or had been at some point - lovers.

Maybe they still were, in a sense.

"That's my girl," she soothed, when Beryl's sounds eventually ceased. "I'll keep you safe. I promised you I always would. I am not Rose. I will not leave you alone, my dearest love."

Garnet had her gauntlets at the ready. "Turquoise, enough of this. We mean you no harm, but we need answers." she said. "Why are you still here...after all this time? You know that Rose isn't coming back."

Turquoise reached up, her weapon appearing in her hand; a long, gleaming blue sword. "I was devoted to the Rebel cause. Devoted and willing to stay for as long as I could. But I'm so tired. WE'RE so tired. We want what was promised to us."

The gems looked up, spotting several sets of glowing eyes watching them in the shadows. Corruptions of various shapes and sizes. Some on four legs, others on two. A few limped on distended limbs. They regarded the others with almost accusing stares.

"Now you know, Crystal Gems." Turquoise said, standing in a perfect fighting stance. "Now you know that we've waited. But now that you've finally come back to us, we will wait no longer. And you will understand what it truly means to suffer."

"Please, please, listen!" Pearl begged.

"Rose Quartz said she had placed her highest hopes in me," Turquoise continued, as if she had never spoken. "Such an outrageous lie that was. For all her talk of freeing us, we were still made prisoners. Prisoners to her war. To her drive for power."

Steven shook his head desperately. "No! That's wrong!"

Turquoise grinned at him. It was so sudden, so wide and disturbing. "Wrong? What do you know of wrong, child? What do you know of the true horrors of the war we have endured? The pain?"

The gems tensed, but Jasper seemed lost by Turquoise's words. The idea of the Diamonds doing what they had done. It was true that they were expendable to the Authority, but something about it rang wrong with her. Something that gave her a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"We're just trying to protect what we love!" Steven insisted.

"And now I will protect what I love." Turquoise told him.

She pointed her sword to the corruptions above, then to them. "Kill."

The corruptions charged forward with a collection of howls and screams.

O

The gems struggled to fight back against the wave of corruptions. Turquoise raised her sword and green bolts of thunder shot up around it. She looked toward Pearl, smiling that tired smile. Her feet were soaked in what Pearl thought was grime and mud.

 _Stars, Pearl had no idea..._

"I wouldn't recommend fighting me, Pearl," Turquoise hissed, "You know taking on a turquoise is a mission for fools. Rose may have trained you, but she never showed you the true art of the sword. You will be shattered by my blade."

Pearl scowled, lunging for her. "I don't think so!"

Turquoise, still smiling, vanished in a flicker of color. She reappeared behind Pearl and the gem slashed the air again behind her, but Turquoise once more faded away and reappeared in a bolt of blue lightning that struck Pearl hard, sending her flying backwards with a groan of pain. Jasper caught sight of this amid her battle with a gem beast.

She punched it to the floor, dispelled its form and rushed to Pearl's aid. Turquoise chuckled at the sight, shaking her head.

"Do you think you'll be together forever?" she said. "That this war has somehow brought you the love you've always felt you needed?"

"Yes." Pearl said, defiant to her contempt.

Jasper looked at her, smiling a little.

"Hm, I see." Turquoise replied, her form crackling with electricity. "I wonder though. If I cut one of you down, who will feel it first?"

She charged again.

While the gems fought, Steven made his way toward Beryl; she was holding her head in her arms, whimpering and moaning. Steven gently reached out, touching her shoulder. Beryl looked up sharply at the contact with a frightened groan.

"It's okay." Steven soothed. "I'm not going to hurt you. I promise."

Beryl gave a soft, unsettled whine; a noise like a suffering dog that drew the attention of Turquoise. She whirled, moments as she kicked Jasper away from her with one foot. When she saw Steven with Beryl, her eyes widened with a gasp.

"Stay away from her!" she shouted.

She charged, sword raised high.

"Wait!" Steven pleaded, raising two hands.

"I won't let you take her!" Turquoise shrieked.

Steven gave a cry of fright and his shield quickly appeared on his arm. He managed to block her attack mere seconds before she could have cut him down.

Steven received a flashback of images. A collection of stills that didn't belong to him. He saw Turquoise embracing an uncorrupted Beryl. They were smiling at one another.

 _"We'll be free to be together. I promise."_

 _"I trust you, Turquoise. I'll follow you until the end."_

Turquoise shouted out in frustration as Steven's shield knocked her back across the floor. Steven had seen only a few images of the two gems. Beryl a gem of royalty from another court, falling for Turquoise, a gem who had been her protector. They had both been promised by Rose their freedom.

"You gave us hope, you gave us the promise of a future..." Turquoise snarled, advancing menacingly. "There is nothing in this universe more dangerous that false hope."

"No! That's not true!" Steven cried, backing away. "My mom, I don't know what happened, but I can free you! You don't have to stay here!"

Turquoise stopped before letting out a cruel chuckle. "It's too late to offer any false benedictions to us, little crossbreed. There is no hope for us. There never was."

Garnet was struggling to hold down a gem corruption. "Steven!" she shouted. "Move!"

"There's ALWAYS hope!" Steven cried, tears streaming down his cheeks. "But you can't give up! Because if you do, then they win!"

Turquoise looked a little surprised by his words. Jasper and Pearl also looked amazed. Jasper glanced down at Pearl and somehow, they managed to find comfort in each other's looks, despite the chaos around them. Steven had proven to be right. For them.

A sigh escaped Turquoise's lips. Then, her features twisted coldly.

"Liar."

Steven looked horrified by her words.

Just as Turquoise charged with her sword held high, Pearl's spear punched through her form. She gasped, eyes widened in shock. The pupils in her stare narrowed to small pinpricks.

Steven watched as Turquoise's sword slipped from her fingers, falling to the floor with a loud clatter. She looked back at Pearl, who was wielding her spear and had shoved it through her. Her features filled with pity and tears prickled the corners of her eyes.

"I'm sorry. You left us no choice." she said.

Turquoise chuckled weakly, gurgling once before collapsing to the floor. She looked up, passed the rows of corruptions who were being poofed by Garnet and bubbled away.

Beryl was holding her face in two hands with continuous animal moaning sounds, but the sound of Turquoise's body falling suddenly caught her attention.

She slowly lifted her malformed head, groaning softly and seemingly staring down at her fallen lover. When she saw Turquoise laying there, she began to shake, voice shuddering with rage.

Beryl tossed her head and screamed, a high-pitched, tormented wail of fury that shook the walls around them. The gems backed away, watching as she grunted, struggling to pull herself free from the chain around her neck. Wild, desperate and blood-drunk; she fought against the chain as if possessed. The statue she was held down to jerked from the forces of her movements.

"Wait, stop!" Steven begged. "You're going to hurt yourself!"

He made a move to stop her, but Garnet quickly stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "Steven, wait." she said.

Steven looked up at her in protest. "But we can't just - "

The sound of a chain snapping made the gems tense for the possibility of another fight. But Beryl was clearly not interested in them. She quickly crawled over to Turquoise, uttering high-pitched, frantic sounds. The other gem smiled up at her, shutting her eyes as Beryl stroked her cheek with one clawed hand. She rumbled nonsensical words from her enormous jaws.

"Yes, my love..." she said.

Beryl tilted her head, jaws parting in a small hiccup of sorrow.

"I'll find you in the dark." Turquoise promised, reaching for her.

Their hands connected and the gems watched in horror as their bodies began to fuse almost immediately. Melding in white light. The gemstones disappearing. Spikes formed in the light. Then followed by long legs like a spider. Wispy green locks of hair danced about like snakes. Multiple eyes on a twisted, agonized skull. A gangly, frail form.

Immediately as the fusion lunged, Jasper and Pearl quickly fused into Carnelian. They collided together in a thunderous crashing sound. Garnet quickly scooped Steven up and they rushed back to avoid the trampling feet of Carnelian.

"You think you know pain?" the fusion snarled, spitting sticky, horrible-smelling fluid in Carnelian's face. "See me, and know what true suffering is!"

Carnelian grunted with effort, pushing her back through the floor. Her hand clutched the gemstone on the fusion's chest. She gave it a twist and her features filled with sorrow.

"Go now. Be at peace." she said.

The fusion howled with rage and agony, thrashing against Carnelian's clutches. Her features morphed unnaturally between rage and agony. When she seemed to understand the severity of what was happening, she began to beg.

"No, no, no..." she moaned, sobbing. "Don't separate us! Please!"

She vanished in a puff of smoke. Both gemstones fell uselessly to the floor and Carnelian bent down to retrieve them. She shut her eyes with a sigh.

"Forgive me." she said.

"Wait!" Steven cried, holding up two hands. "Wait, we can help them!"

"Steven, I don't..." Carnelian began.

"Just trust me, okay?" Steven insisted. "Let's get Spirit Quartz here! She can help Turquoise, I know she can!"

O

"She is a good gem. I understand that much. She can be trusted, to a point. But I can not see past the anger. That much rage can hide things."

"So we can have them here and unbubbled?"

"Yes. There is still hope for them. Give me time."

 _Turquoise had been reassigned._

 _She had known she would. Other gems whom she had been tasked with guarding were strictly politicians and believed it was she who had such disdain and lack of respect for them._

 _It was true. Turquoise respected the position, but she did not respect the gem._

 _All they liked to do was talk._

 _Now here she was, being led by a Vivianite toward the next gem she was assigned to protect. She listened to the Vivianite's words discussing what her behavior meant and what she was expected to do if she was to remain in her position._

 _They entered a chamber where a gem was sitting, discussing something with two peridots. She had long red hair thrown over one shoulder, her gemstone positioned on her cheek. She wore a long dress bearing the marks of the Diamond Authority._

 _"Red Beryl, I've come! And with your guardian!" Vivianite announced, bowing in a way that inclined most of her body. "Turquoise Facet-555 Cabochon-6."_

 _Beryl glanced up and smiled, her soft eyes warm and welcoming. "Oh! That's right." She looked at the peridots. "I will speak to you two later. I must greet my newest protector properly."_

 _She approached Turquoise, standing only up to her shoulders. The larger gem watched her with hard indifference, but Beryl seemed completely fine with that. She paced around her, studying her with a thoughtful murmur and Turquoise rolled her eyes._

 _They always did this._

 _"Well, you are a lot bigger than my last one." she remarked, amusement lighting her tone higher than it usually seemed. "I'm quite happy with you."_

 _Turquoise made a face. "It pleases me to be of service." she said, her tone flat._

 _Vivianite scowled up at her. "What did I say about your disrespect?"_

 _"It's all right, Vivianite," Beryl assured her. "I'm certain Turquoise has her reasons. Now, that will be all. I have a meeting to go to." She smiled up at Turquoise. "Come."_

 _So she did; follow Beryl down the corridors toward the ship docks._

Turquoise awoke with a startled gasp.

She abruptly sat up, gazing around and noticing she was no longer in the temple, but at the Falls of Enlightenment. She scrambled to her feet, spotting Beryl kneeling at the pool, chittering quietly.

"Beryl!" Turquoise gasped, making her way to the corrupted gem.

Beryl looked up and reached for her with two hands, happily crooning at the sight of her. Turquoise put her arms around her, whispering reassuringly.

"Are you all right?" Turquoise asked.

Beryl simply rubbed her face into Turquoise's neck, continuing those happy sounds. Turquoise smiled with relief and adoration.

Spirit Quartz approached them and immediately, Turquoise turned, sword materializing into her hands. The other gem held out two hands.

"Calm yourself, Gem Guard." she said, gently. "I'm not your enemy."

Turquoise lowered her sword somewhat. She frowned. "A Spirit Quartz. I thought all of you had ceased to exist."

"Well, I haven't ceased to exist, not yet." Spirit replied, with a laugh. She approached slowly. "Steven brought you here. He believes you can be helped."

Turquoise stared at her suspiciously. "What help could you possibly provide?"

"Well, I am good at conversation. Perhaps we could start there." Spirit said, with a warm chuckle.

Beryl crawled beneath Turquoise's arm, hissing softly. The larger gem stared down at her with a sad smile. "She doesn't know me," she said, softly, "She only knows that I keep her safe, and that she will never be harmed with me."

Spirit walked up, knelt down and raised a gentle hand to Beryl's head. The corrupted gem withered a little, but leaned into Turquoise for comfort.

"It's okay, Beryl." Spirit assured her, "I just want to take a little peek."

Beryl grunted, jaws clicking together before Spirit placed her hand over her head. Her gem glowed with soft light and she took a deep inhale before her lips quivered with anguish.

"Poor thing..." she said, "I see ribbons of red. Fragments of memories. But they all seem drawn to you, Turquoise. She is lost in her mind. But..." A small smile touched her lips. "She remembers how familiar your smell is and the sound of your voice. She doesn't understand why she does, but she just feels it."

Turquoise's eyes brimmed. She swallowed thickly, attempting to maintain her composure.

From the mouth of the cave, Steven, Connie and Pearl watched them. Steven hesitated for a moment before he started to walk inside.

'Steven, wait!" Pearl insisted.

Turquoise immediately looked toward him and Steven froze, raising two hands. "It's just me!" he said, unsettled by that wide-eyed glare on the large gem's face. "I'm not here to fight."

"Hm. And yet your friends have their weapons."

Steven glanced over his shoulder and both Pearl and Connie had spear and sword in their hands. He gestured for them to lower the weapons and they did so, albeit reluctantly. Turquoise held Beryl in her arms, gently petting her head when she uttered quiet, distressed whines.

"It's all right, my love." she assured her, glare still focused on the others watching. "They know what happens if they try to harm you."

"Turquoise, I'm not going to hurt Beryl." Steven assured her. "I promise. We just want information. That's all. Then you're free to go wherever you need. No one will follow you or hurt you."

Turquoise seemed to think about that. "Very well." she replied. "What information do you want?"

"We just want to know what happened. Why did my mom tell you you wait?"

Turquoise exhaled through her nose. "Rose Quartz knew very well that the war would turn in her favor. Yet she feared too many casualties as an end result. She wanted to be certain most gem lives could be saved. I wasn't given much to go on. But it was enough. Yet Beryl wanted to save more before the Diamond attack."

"Is that how she ended up corrupted?"

"Not quite."

 _The alarm sounded throughout the planet._

 _Beryl and Turquoise were fleeing through the field, several more gems at their side. Turquoise refused to release Beryl's hand until they saw the sight of the temple._

 _"We shouldn't have gone so far!" a Ruby shouted._

 _"We won't make it!" a Topaz cried, frantically._

 _"We will, now go!" Turquoise demanded._

 _Gems filed their way deep into the temple, but the door refused to close when Beryl attempted to close it. She grunted with effort and tried to shut it several times, but the lock had been blasted off from a cannon. The only way she would have been able to lock it shut was on the outside. She gasped, horror on her face._

 _"They won't make it..." she whispered. She glanced down, still to herself. "And the door won't shut unless someone's outside to shut it. They will be corrupted all the same..."_

 _Turquoise tried to pull her away._

 _"Beryl! Leave it!" she shouted._

 _The sound from the Diamond attack was growing louder and several more gems were making their way toward the temple door. They cried frantically for safety and Beryl looked back at Turquoise with a sad smile. Turquoise read the look on her face and her eyes widened in horror._

 _"Beryl, don't."_

 _Beryl raised the palm of her hand and shoved her hard, knocking her back down the flight of stairs. Turquoise watched in horror and disbelief as Beryl rushed outside, slammed the door shut and latched it._

 _The sound grew louder. And louder._

 _It was so loud..._

 _"BERYL!" Turquoise shouted desperately, scrambling up the stairs._

 _The sound obliterated trees and dust in its wake and Beryl smiled sadly, closing her eyes._

Turquoise could still hear the echoing screams in her mind. She exhaled softly, looking down at Beryl who had taken comfort in her arms, burying her face in her chest.

"When it was over, there was silence." she continued. "And then, I heard it..."

 _The door creaked open and the few gems who had made it to the bottom watched the stairway with bated breath. They heard Turquoise's frantic gasps, her sorrowful sounds._

 _"...Beryl? Beryl, I have you. It's okay. I have you..."_

 _The gems looked stunned when Turquoise stepped down, carrying Beryl in her arms. The smaller gem's form flickered in and out, her eyes wide and unseeing. Her lips formed soundless words and her fingers clawed at her form helplessly. Every second spread red, corrupting mass across her forearms and cheek._

 _"T-Turquoise?" she mumbled, "Are they safe? Are you safe?"_

 _"Shhh," Turquoise soothed, "It's all right. I'm here. They are safe."_

 _She slid to the floor, cradling Beryl to her chest. The smaller gem groaned softly, her form flickering again. She gave a small, weak laugh._

 _"What a funny sort of day it's been, yes?" Beryl gasped, laughing as much as she could._

 _Turquoise withered with anguish. She held her hand, looking down when she noticed it had changed into long, frightening claws._

 _"I...I can feel my mind slipping..." Beryl mumbled, against her neck. "I... No, I won't forget you. I..."_

 _Turquoise continued to hold her, gently swaying back and forth. The other gems who had survived watched the sight in grave silence, uncertain of what else to do. Turquoise began to quietly sing a song to her; it was one that Beryl had sung many times when they'd first met._

 _"I'm afraid...I'm afraid, Turquoise..." Beryl continued to speak deliriously, "My mind is going. I can feel it..." Another flicker of her form and the left side of her face had transformed into a monstrous grimace._

 _Finally, her eyes widened and she smiled. "Good afternoon, everyone! I am a Red Beryl Facet-4 Cut-2SL! I emerged on Homeworld in the Upper District of Level Five! I am happy to meet you and eager to begin my duties!"_

 _Turquoise held her tight to her chest, softly weeping in her air while the others watched in silence._

Beryl seemed to calm after Turquoise told her story. Steven looked shocked and both Pearl and Connie had eventually joined him in the Falls as well to hear.

"There were others who, in time, left us to seek their own fate on this planet," Turquoise explained. And I gathered the remnants of my squad who had found themselves corrupted. I then kept them safe all this time. After all, what else was there for us to do after Rose had abandoned us?"

"But she didn't!" Steven insisted. "She thought all of the gems in the Diamond attack were corrupted and every day she tried to find them and make it right."

"Make it right?" Turquoise stared at him in disbelief and grief. "There is NO making this right! There is no fixing what the Diamonds did to us!"

"There is!" Steven insisted. "We just have to find a way. I know we can fix this. All of it. You just have to give us a chance. Think of Beryl!"

Turquoise glanced down at Beryl in her arms. She sighed quietly, and suddenly, she seemed so very weary. "I will." She gave him a small wave of her hand. "For now? Leave us be. I'm tired."

"But - " Steven began.

Spirit looked at the three, raising a gentle hand. "Give us time. I'll stay with her."

The three filed their way out of the Falls and Pearl looked back hesitantly. Connie didn't seem very sure about this either, but Steven couldn't stop thinking about what Turquoise had said about his mother. Did Rose Quartz really abandon them? The more he learned, the more stories he'd listened to, he began to question everything he was every taught about her.

For now, maybe it was a good idea to leave them alone.

"Let's just give them some space right now," Connie advised, quietly. "They've lost a lot."

Pearl sighed. "We've all lost something, Connie."

Spirit watched them go, then turned to Turquoise and Beryl. "Well? Perhaps we could talk."

Turquoise hesitated before nodding. "Fine."

O

 _Note -_ I thought of Beryl being voiced by Karen Strassman, who voiced Alexia Ashford from Darkside Chronicles. And of course, I thought Turquoise could be voiced by Kate Mulgrew, who voiced Flemeth from Dragon Age.


	41. Chapter Forty-One:Promise to the Dead II

~O~

 **Chapter Forty-One: Promise to the Dead II**

 _Pre-war_

 _Turquoise was standing by the doors, arms behind her back and chin held high. She was focused and on alert, even when she heard the giggling voices of Beryl and a few other gems nearby, talking to one another. So very carefree and so utterly naive._

 _"Oh, is that...?" one of the gems whispered. "Is that your new guard?"_

 _Beryl nodded her head, smiling. "Oh, yes."_

 _"I've heard of that one." the other gem warned, lowering her voice. "Watch out for her. She's been known to be unpleasant. Many complaints were filed before you."_

 _Beryl raised an eyebrow, deep in thought. She calmly studied a holographic display of notes before her, but seemed disinterested in the gossip. "Oh yes, yes, I've heard."_

 _Turquoise glanced sidelong to them, making a face. What an insufferable group of gems they were, distracting Beryl from her work, no less. But she was accustomed to being treated as if she wasn't standing there. She knew how most gems looked upon her._

 _"I heard that she punched her last owner!"_

 _"Yes, well, I heard that the Emeralds won't work with her anymore because of what she told her previous owner."_

 _Beryl sighed impatiently. "Well, she's standing right there." she said, pointing toward Turquoise without looking up from her tablet. "So may we cease the chatter, please? Honestly, I think the two of you listen to more than your share of gossip."_

 _Turquoise looked a little surprised by the comment. Was Beryl speaking for her?_

 _That was a first. No gem she had ever been assigned to cared about her well being. It was strange to hear, and yet, a part of her found that she rather...liked it._

 _"Honestly, if the two of you do not intend to help discuss the next meeting, I'd rather you leave me to my duties."_

 _The two gems filed out of the room and Beryl began to sing softly to herself. Turquoise listened to the song, taken by the sound of her voice. She said nothing, but found herself staring. She couldn't help it and had no idea what had come over her._

 _"Oh! We should go!" Beryl stood up after glancing down at another hologram. "My meeting on White Diamond's fifth colony is about to begin!"_

 _Turquoise nodded her head. She followed Beryl as the smaller gem walked out of the room, making her way toward a ship that housed several other elite, political gems. Turquoise made a face, rolling her eyes. Wonderful. She would have to endure their chatter for another cycle._

 _Of course, the journey took an age; other Gem Guards had remained silent - turquoise's who had been given to the elite gems as part of their duty._

 _One of the elite gems - an Emerald walked passed her, smiling. "Recognize any of your fellow guards here, Cabochon-6?" she asked, in a syrupy sweet voice._

 _Turquoise snorted. She didn't want to talk with her, but she answered anyway, rather snarky. "As if we know each other."_

 _"Oh, well, look at Cabochon-5," the Emerald continued to pester her with that irritating tone of voice that oozed with syrupy sweetness and contempt. "She's silent and so well behaved. Yes, I've heard about your little escapades. Don't think I'm going to let it happen on MY ship."_

 _Beryl glanced over and caught the exchange. She noticed Turquoise's eyes darkening nearly to a stormy blue; she was clutching at her sword hilt tightly, her knuckles nearly white and her arms trembling. Beryl immediately walked over and her voice lit up with forced pleasure._

 _"Emerald! Cut-3HF!" she gushed. "I'm quite happy to see you here! I've wanted to personally speak to the commander of this ship. Such a fine vessel it is. You clearly take great pride in it!"_

 _The Emerald seemed to immediately turn her focus from Turquoise and smiled, inhaling with pride. "Well, yes, of course it is!" she said. "It's constantly cleaned by pearls, tended to by..."_

 _Her chatter was bothersome, but Beryl glanced beyond her to Turquoise and mouthed 'are you alright' to the other gem, and Turquoise's eyes widened in disbelief. She simply nodded gruffly and glanced away. Her arms had stopped shaking, her shoulders relaxed and her gaze softened to a considerable calm._

 _Yes. She was fine._

O

Jasper couldn't focus that morning.

All she could think about were the two gems staying at the Falls of Enlightenment and their place among Rose Quartz's army. She knew quite a bit of gems as she had fought them on the battlefield before the war ended. But Turquoise and Beryl? She had never met them once, but had a feeling that Turquoise knew more than she was probably letting on. And Jasper had to know.

"So are we just going to sit here?" she snapped.

Steven was gathering a bowl of popcorn from the microwave. He poured some into a big bowl and set it down in front of her.

"We should give Turquoise some time before we ask her so many questions," he suggested. "She's been down there for a while. And it's going to be hard for her to trust us to get more from her."

Jasper growled impatiently, taking a handful of popcorn to eat.

Steven looked down at the popcorn, brightened and quickly took the bowl in his hands. "Oh! I have an idea!" he cried, rushing out of the house and down the stairs.

Jasper frowned and rose, but Steven quickly rushed back inside, embarrassed. "I should probably use the warp pad."

Jasper followed him and the two immediately warped away to meet with Turquoise, Beryl and Spirit once again.

Meanwhile, Spirit had been running her hands down Turquoise's sword, murmuring thoughtfully as she felt every ounce of energy radiating from the blade. There was pride in its creation, she could feel it dancing between her fingers. There was strength in such a weapon that rivaled the blades of most Quartz soldiers.

"The blade. It sings... an old song. Almost as old as me..." Spirit said, softly.

Turquoise nodded her head, gently swaying back and forth to comfort Beryl to sleep. "I suppose that is a word for it." she replied. "I am not much younger than you, after all."

"It's cut things down," Spirit continued, sadly, "Regret in whispers across colors of red and blue. 'Please, forgive me. I have no choice'. It hurts for those it could not save."

Turquoise sighed heavily. She said nothing.

The sound of approaching footsteps outside had awoken Beryl and she grunted awake, letting out a quiet, uncertain groan. When they saw that it was Jasper and Steven, they relaxed and Spirit set the sword down, rising with a happy smile.

"Hello, Steven!" she greeted, "It's nice to see you this morning. I was simply talking with Turquoise. She's shared interesting stories with me."

"Then maybe you can share an even more interesting one about Rose Quartz." Jasper snapped, glaring impatiently at Turquoise. She scowled now at the tired smile on the other gem's face. "Oh? You think I'm joking? Rose Quartz...Pink Diamond. There's more to this whole thing! You know something!"

"I know no more than the rest of you," Turquoise was disinterested with the conversation. "Beryl was my focus; my world. Rose Quartz's goal to save the planet and its natives was her own. I cared very little for the species and find them to be repulsive. Oh, why so surprised? Not every gem who took Rose's side loved your kind. They simply hated the Diamond Authority more than you. I have been in the service of bratty gems who threw tantrums when they failed to get what they want. But Rose's irritating ways were preferable to Homeworld's cruelty."

"You have to care a little, I mean..." Steven tried to understand it. Most of his mother's rebellion seemed to like the humans.

"I really don't."

Steven sighed, disappointed. He didn't want to push the issue any more than he needed to right now. Things already seemed tense. "Well..." He noticed Beryl sniffing the air, curious by the smell coming from bowl of popcorn. His face lit up and he smiled. "Hey, would she want to try some?"

Turquoise furrowed her brow. "What is it?"

"Popcorn!" Steven held the bowl up to Beryl and said in a singsong voice, "It's really good!"

Beryl glanced briefly at Turquoise and the larger gem gave a reassuring nod. Beryl cautiously crawled over to the offering and sniffed the bowl again, her noises loud and eager. She growled softly, reached inside with her whole mouth and consumed a few portions of the popcorn. Steven placed the bowl on the ground to give her room.

It took only a second for Beryl to realize that the popcorn was tasty and she eagerly began to devour the contents of the bowl with loud, hungry slurping sounds. Jasper made a face and the other two gems looked astounded. Steven grinned and threw his arms in the air.

"Another day saved with popcorn!" he cried, proud.

Spirit chuckled and Turquoise frowned curiously. When Beryl was finished, she clawed at the bowl, looking for more. Steven laughed a little.

"Sorry, I don't have any more," he said.

Beryl seemed intent on licking at the bowl anyway. Turquoise's gaze softened a little. "Hm. You're kind for a human. Beryl is happy, so I am happy."

Spirit spoke up now. "Perhaps I can still help. Maybe take me to the temple? I may find lingering emotions there of Rose Quartz."

Turquoise thought about it. Her eyes darkened somewhat in thought, but she didn't argue with either one of them this time. "Alright."

O

Jasper accompanied them to the temple as they made their way inside. Once they stepped down into the dark, Spirit took a deep breath, surprise in her voice. She almost sounded winded, as if she'd been running for miles.

"Oh..." she said.

Steven looked up at her. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine, Steven. But there is a good deal of negative energy permeating here." Spirit explained. She ran a hand against the wall near her. "This is a sad place, filled with an old pain. Gems spoke here. Some listened, until they did no longer."

She made her way to the pedestals, touching the weapons that had been placed there. She ran her hand over a sword and her voice quivered. "Wait, she says. I can still work, I am not defective. The Emerald laughs cruelly. The weapon comes down anyway. She was bored..."

The others watched her in grim silence. Turquoise exhaled softly, approaching her. "I took that from an Emerald who talked far too much. When I had learned what she had done, I returned the favor. It was war. You know what war brings."

Spirit touched several other items on their pedestals, receiving bolts of negative energy from each one. Every item had been taken from a gem Turquoise had punished. All of them had done cruel things.

Beryl crawled toward a corner of objects and began to dig her way through it. Turquoise murmured thoughtfully and followed her to help look. Jasper sighed impatiently.

"This is getting us nowhere." she said, annoyed. "If they don't know anything about Pink Diamond or Rose - "

Turquoise pulled out a broken device that reminded Steven of a VHS tape. He approached, curious and Turquoise handed it to him. He turned it in his hands for study.

"What's this?" he asked.

Turquoise sighed quietly. "A gift. I had it made for Beryl."

"What is it?"

Steven pushed a little button and it lit up, playing soft music in time with an unusual song in gem. It displayed bright, beautiful colors of red and blue, forming designs of stars and planets. He watched it with awe and Beryl swiped the ground, trying to touch the light with her claws.

"It was her song that she sung to me," Turquoise explained, softly. She seemed a bit uncomfortable now, clearly not used to discussing her emotions with others. "I'd had a Flint make it for me. I told her to keep it between us under threat of death."

Spirit laughed gently. "May I see it?"

Steven handed her the device and Spirit studied it for a moment before a warm smile lit her lips. "There is love here. 'I love to dance, but I can't. It's for her. It's to make her smile'.

A darker shade of color touched Turquoise's cheeks and she quickly averted her eyes. "I forget sometimes that Spirit Quartz's can be so...invasive."

She looked down at Steven. "I may not be able to help you, but you can find the others who survived with us."

"Who?"

"A Flint. A Moonstone. A Citrine - "

Jasper reacted slightly. "Citrine?"

Turquoise smiled and glanced at her. "Yes. I remember she talked quite a bit about you."

Steven patted his pockets. "Wait! I have to write this down!"

He quickly raced out of the temple and Turquoise watched him go before she smiled thinly. She glanced briefly at Spirit before shaking her head.

"The child's kind, I see." she said.

Spirit smiled and nodded. "Oh, that he is. He wants to do good. He wants to be better than his mother. I am grateful for this."

Turquoise thought about that. Oh yes. She too had wanted to be better.

 _The gems filed down the corridors of the ship, panicking with several cries and shouts._

 _Several rebel gems had stormed the vessel, but Beryl and Turquoise had made their way to the cargo bay in search of escape pods. Turquoise could have fought them off, but it was best to get Beryl to safety. She had to be certain that she wasn't harmed._

 _It was important._

 _It was her job._

 _Suddenly, Beryl tripped over a fallen piece of metal and fell flat on her face. Turquoise stopped running, slid across the floor on her heels in a sharp turn._

 _Beryl looked over her shoulder with a frightened cry when she saw a rebel amethyst rushing at her at top speed on a mechanical loading machine with long grasping claws, intent to shatter her without a doubt._

 _Turquoise jumped between them, raised two hands in front of her and caught the machine in mid-charge. Beryl watched, shocked as Turquoise held back the dangerous claws, lips pursed with effort. The amethyst scowled angrily and Turquoise glanced briefly back at Beryl._

 _The smaller gem watched her with awe and Turquoise grunted, letting out a fierce shout as she shoved the loading machine back, sending the amethyst tumbling from it and the machine crashing onto its side._

 _Turquoise turned to Beryl, helped her stand. "Are you hurt?" she asked._

 _Beryl shook her head. "N-No. I'm fine. Thank you Tur-Watch out!"_

 _Turquoise looked over her shoulder, eyes widening when the amethyst had produced a spear and launched blasts of energy at her. Turquoise immediately held Beryl close to her chest without thinking; she took shot after shot to her back, grunting sharply in pain with every hit that contacted her form. It caused ribbons of yellow static through her that threatened to dispel her._

 _Beryl's eyes widened in horror. "Turquoise!"_

 _Turquoise let out another sharp groan of pain. Her features twisted and she appeared to fight through the agony of every blow. "It doesn't...hurt." she lied._

 _She looked up, moments as several other gems began to pour into the cargo bay. Two of them were topaz's, who charged for the amethyst as a pair holding hands. They fused at the precise moment, catching the amethyst in their fused form and trapping her inside._

 _She struggled and shrieked with anger and frustration, but it was useless. She was not getting out of the mass of fused gems._

 _Turquoise looked down at Beryl and gave her a pained smile. "Well, my work here is done, it seems."_

 _Beryl's cheeks darkened a degree. She still looked awestruck. "Yes, you've...done splendidly."_

 _Then, Turquoise's features pinched and she dropped to her knees. Several gems made their way to her side; they touched her back, which had been scalded by the lasers from the amethyst's weapon. When one of the gems touched it, she hissed sharply and smoke billowed from the places she had been hit._

 _"I'm fine. I'm fine." Turquoise growled out._

 _An agate walked into the cargo bay, looking around the chamber as gems collected themselves - Yellow Agate. Broad chested, high cheekbones, short hair curled upwards like Yellow Diamond's pearl. She approached Turquoise and Beryl, studying the situation with a sharp eye._

 _"Well, what have we here?" she said, her nasal voice loud in the chamber, "Ah, Turquoise Facet-555 Cabochon-6. I've...heard of this one."_

 _The topaz's who had secured the amethyst gave her their full report as needed and attention was diverted away from Turquoise once more._

 _Then, a Diaspore approached them. She was a tall, lanky gem with round cheeks and almond-shaped eyes. She wore long robes and carried a walking stick. Diaspore's were those who often times arrived at new colonies to study the specimens. They kept data on each unique species and were in charge of Nephrites._

 _"Ah!" she greeted Beryl in a very lovely, accented voice dripping with friendliness that bordered on patronizing. "Hello, darling. What's all this? Get into a little scuffle with the rebellious ones?"_

 _She tittered with amusement and Beryl laughed weakly in response. "Hello, Diaspore. Yes, but I'm fine. I had tripped and - "_

 _Beryl suddenly doubled over with a hiss of pain, clutching her cheek. Her form flickered once. Then twice. Turquoise watched in horror as she dropped to her knees. Several gems quickly went to her side and Diaspore knelt down, pulling Beryl's hand away to see the extent of the damage._

 _"It's a graze, but we should get you to the labs, quickly!" she insisted._

 _Turquoise wasn't even acknowledged as Beryl was quickly herded away. Though the smaller gem dared one helpless glance back at her. She saw something on Turquoise's face that made her mouth the words "It's not your fault"._

O

 _"You must transfer me."_

 _Vivianite looked up, startled when Turquoise stepped into her office. The other gem looked conflicted and more so than she had ever seen._

 _"What?" she asked._

 _"I must be transferred," Turquoise told her, shutting her eyes and refusing to look at her superior, "I have failed in my duty.."_

 _"What are you on about?" Vivianite looked confused. "The report I received..." She looked down at a holographic display of a report in front of her. "There have been nothing on record stating any failure to perform your duties, even from the gems who filed complaints about your attitude." She gave a small bark of amusement._

 _"Beryl was wounded because of me!" Turquoise's thick voice nearly became shrill._

 _Vivianite blinked, eyes widening at the volume of her tone. Turquoise's voice evened out now and she cleared her throat. "I do not understand... She was hurt because I surely failed to protect her to my utmost abilities. I was distracted. I didn't see - "_

 _Her superior rose, wandering around the desk to Turquoise. "Honestly, I know you Turquoise's value duty. I trained you to be this way. But you will not be transferred, end of discussion. I - "_

 _There was a beeping noise at her desk and she murmured thoughtfully, walking back to it. A new holographic display was brought up and Turquoise stood in tense silence. Vivianite smiled now._

 _"Ah, it would seem that the Beryl you were assigned to will be doing just fine." she said. "The damage to her gem was superficial. You can relax. Honestly."_

 _Turquoise pursed her lips._

 _"That's all." Vivianite told her, waving her away without a chance for her to speak further on the matter._

 _Turquoise let out an angry growl and simply walked out of the office. She started down the corridors, hesitated and made her way to the Regeneration Laboratory. Beryl was there, sitting on a chair as a Clear Quartz was tending to her gem._

 _Large, passive gems with a translucent form; Clear Quartz's were always dressed in white, without hair on their heads, but instead, markings and runes. They had gentle, white pupils and soft smiles on their faces; they had been made to be quite welcoming and kind._

 _"Well..." Clear Quartz said, her voice melodic and soothing. "It's a simple graze. You will heal nicely."_

 _Turquoise approached the chair and Beryl looked up at her, smiling. Her gemstone was shimmering from being tended to and there was not a single scratch to be seen. Clear Quartz's were difficult to make, but their skills were second to none._

 _"Ah! Turquoise. I am happy to see you. Have you recovered?" Beryl asked._

 _Turquoise lowered her head. "I have failed."_

 _Beryl looked confused. "Hm? How so?"_

 _"You were hurt because I was..." Turquoise struggled to find the right words. She glared at Clear Quartz when she noticed the gem staring at her. "What are you staring at? Don't you have work to do?"_

 _The quartz immediately made her way out of the room and Beryl looked up at Turquoise, still somewhat lost on Turquoise's behavior. Turquoise knelt down so that she could speak at her level._

 _"I don't understand, Turquoise." she said, frowning. "You haven't failed. Had you not been there, the amethyst would have shattered me."_

 _"But you were hurt."_

 _Beryl laughed gently. "Yes, but I'm fine now, Turquoise. Why are you troubled so?"_

 _Turquoise wavered a little. In truth, she didn't understand why the sight of a simple scratch on Beryl's gem had hurt her so much. "I...I don't know."_

 _She couldn't look at her, but she still felt Beryl's eyes on her._

 _"I see. Well...when you're ready to speak to me, you know where I am."_

Beryl began to whimper.

Turquoise looked down at her, putting her arms around the corrupted gem when she felt the slightest bit of distress in her movements. "Shh," she soothed, when Beryl squirmed and groaned helplessly. "I'm here, Beryl. I'm here. I'm right here."

Her whispers of comfort worked through the recessed of Beryl's mind. The gem, uncorrupted stood lost in a void of blackness, ankle-deep in water. She could faintly make out Turquoise's whispers, echoing over and over around her.

"...It's all right. It's all right...I'm right here."

She closed her eyes, covered her face with two hands and began to cry.

Meanwhile, Steven and the others sat together in the living room, talking about the names of gems that Turquoise had given him to search for. The discussion had been a somber one; no one really knew what they could do next after finding Turquoise. Steven had an idea, but none of them seemed eager for it.

"Turquoise won't help us," Jasper said, "So we have to find gems who will."

"Do we know if they're still around?" Pearl asked, "We've searched this planet top to bottom and all we've found are corrupted gems from the Diamond attack."

Garnet made a thoughtful sound, lips thinning. "If they wanted to be found, I would have seen them. They're hiding from us."

"We find them!" Jasper punched the table between them, sending papers scattering and the gems jumping where they sat.

Pearl sighed soothingly, petting her shoulders. "Easy, jasper. It's okay. We will find a way to understand all of this, I promise."

Jasper didn't seem very happy with the response, but she gave a few curt nods and relaxed. Her tone was still hollow, but even now.

"So what do we do first?" she asked.

Spinel sighed, petting Coco-Puffs as the corrupted gem rested in her lap. "Well, we could start with Flint?"

The others looked at her. "Why do you think we should start with her?" Garnet asked.

Spirit had been making herself comfortable in the kitchen with a pot of water for tea. She curled her nose a little with a gruff snort.

"Yes, if you want loud, rude and impulsive." she muttered.

Her tone definitely interested everyone in the house and they looked toward her now. Spirit calmly stirred a spoon in a cup and sniffed it delicately before she sighed. Sensing their stares, she turned and shrugged her shoulders before looking down at her robes.

"Oh! Did some tea spill on my robes?" Spirit asked.

"Spirit..." Steven climbed up onto a stool and looked at her curiously. "Why do Spirit Quartz's and Flint's get along, anyway?"

Spirit sighed softly, leaning against the counter. "They constantly mock our traditions, they have no manners for anyone other than themselves. When a group of them constructed our facilities with the Bismuth's, they disrespected our silence and the bells."

"Well, they can't all be like that," Steven pointed out.

Pearl rose from her spot with a sigh. "Look, let's worry about finding these gems first, if they're even still around. Then we can talk about Spirit's problems with the Flint's another time."

Spirit gave her a flick of her head in her direction, clearly displeased with her words.

O

 _Turquoise was standing on the edge of the beach, watching the water._

 _Beryl approached her slowly, tentatively. "Turquouise?"_

 _Turquoise's eyes widened and she turned, surprised to see Beryl standing there. She had remembered wanting to speak to her and wanting nothing more than to speak the words she had felt._

 _Beryl spoke first. "Vivianite told me you were waiting for - "_

 _"Shh." Turquoise interrupted, raising one finger. "I have something for you and..." She cleared her throat and suddenly looked abashed. "...I'd like to give it to you without any pleasantries."_

 _Beryl looked surprised and her eyes questioned as Turquoise handed her a box sealed up with a few clasps. She smiled a little and opened it._

 _"Oh my!" she said, "What is this?"_

 _Turquoise watched the sight hesitantly as Beryl pulled out the little device she had specifically made for her. Beryl turned it in her hands for study, trying to understand it and Turquoise decided to help._

 _"Allow me."_

 _Beryl's features lit up with wonder and awe as the device immediately played back song and colorful stars. She listened to it for a moment before brightening._

 _"My song!" she exclaimed._

 _Turquoise nodded, tucking her hands in her cloak now. "Yes. I had it taken to the Flint and made this for you. A sort of...gift. Forgive me. I'm not very good at these things."_

 _"It's lovely, Turquoise!" Beryl said, more than thrilled with the gift. "I adore it so!"_

 _That proud smile on Turquoise's face returned and she took Beryl's free hand so that they could walk the length of the beach together._

Turquoise had the device playing the song, singing it softly to herself as Beryl slept beside her.

 _"Rest my Stars find your peace within, as I lay with you."_

 _"I will look to you as your mind gently dreams."_

 _"Sleep, my dearest Sun, rest your eyes."_

 _"Let my arms warm you from the cold."_

 _"Hear my voice, feel my touch."_

 _"Sooth you, gently, sweetly."_

 _"When we wake, the world is brand new again."_

 _"So rest, my love."_

O

 _Note_ \- This chapter was inspired by the song "Quiet's Theme" (The Tender version) by Donna Burke. These two chapters may have been different, but they come from a special memory and place that I absolutely had to write, touched up from my fic, Lazarus.


	42. Chapter Forty-Two: Jasper's Day Out

~O~

 **Chapter Forty-Two: Jasper's Day Out**

It was a cold, early morning when she went for a walk.

Jasper remembered the walks she would take on Homeworld at times; how when she was troubled, she would take a moment to herself to get some air.

It was hard to return to "normal life" when she was was brought back from corruption and even harder now that she knew Pink Diamond had willingly chosen her colony over Homeworld. Sometimes she thought about how strange it felt never returning to Homeworld. A part of her felt like an exiled gem, a traitor.

No. She had learned much from her experiences. She was no traitor. Pink Diamond would have forgiven her for this...

Would she?

She looked over and noticed Nanefua Pizza wandering around a parking lot. Frowning, she contemplating ignoring the human for a moment. But she remembered her being tolerable and quite kind to her in the process, so Jasper decided to indulge her curiosity and wandered over to her.

Nanefua looked up and smiled when she saw her. "Ah! Jasper!" she said. "Nice to see you."

Jasper raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"

"Looking for my phone. Ah, my son insisted I have one if I'm going out by myself," Nanefua said, peering underneath a car.

Jasper sighed, glancing upwards before she slipped one hand beneath it and lifted the car. Nanefua smiled brightly when she noticed the phone lying there.

"Ah! Thank you, Jasper." she told her. "You're quite handy to have around!"

She chuckled a little, then tilted her head with concern when she noticed Jasper's distracted frown.

"You seem upset. What's wrong?"

Jasper sighed, shaking her head. "I just have a lot on my mind right now."

"Well, perhaps distraction could use company." Nanefua suggested, with a smile. "I was just going to the park. Would you like to come with me? We could talk together."

Jasper wanted to argue the human's impudence, but she remembered how Nanefua had seen more to Pearl and herself before they had even fused. Perhaps she had more of an intellect than Jasper had always assumed. She was, after all, still learning.

"How have things been with Pearl?" Nanefua asked, when they made their way into the small, humble park.

"It's been good." Jasper said, after much hesitation. She didn't know how much she was willing to talk about. What did the human understand, anyway?

"Hm. Well, hopefully it will be better."

The human seemed to know more than she let on, but she didn't pry into Jasper's business. The gem appreciated that.

Jasper looked around and noticed humans in the park. Some were smaller ones playing together on the swings, others were adults talking with each other. It was a calming sight. She also looked up as a butterfly passed, landing on a nearby flower.

The two took a seat on a bench and Jasper silently watched as the small human began to feed some seagulls that had flown nearby; she broke off a piece of bread every so often and tossed it to the ground. Jasper watched the animals and continued to sit quietly.

"You know, it was scary for me too." Nanefua said.

"What was?" Jasper asked, frowning down at her.

"I traveled here with my son a long time ago from Ghana. It was hard adjusting to our new life." Nanefua explained. "Every day was a struggle to acquaint ourselves with this strange, new world. But we made it work. The challenge was the best part."

Jasper raised an eyebrow. That sounded ridiculous.

"How could struggle possibly be good in any way?" she snapped.

Nanefua chuckled. "Well, when you go home to your family at the end of the day. Everything else is just...well, speed-bumps on the road of life. You hit them, and its rough, but in a second, those bumps are far behind you."

Jasper thought about that.

Nanefua smiled and held out a few pieces of bread. "Would you like to feed them?"

Jasper looked a little lost for a moment before she shrugged, took the bread and began to throw pieces of if onto the ground. The seagulls moved closer to her, pecking away at the offerings. She managed a small smile at the sight.

O

Jasper wandered down the streets, thinking about the small human's words. They held some merit, she had to agree. But she was still growing used to Earth and all its surprises. It felt not too long ago that she'd attempted to destroy the Crystal Gems.

A flash of static and Yellow Diamond's illusion appeared once again on the side of the road. Jasper shut her eyes, feeling her hands slowly start to shake. She began to wonder if she was seeing these images as leftovers from her corruption. She could still feel it there, corrupted, broken fragments of her mind whispering these things.

 _This is too great a burden for you. I think you know that, Jasper._

Jasper continued to walk and Yellow Diamond appeared every so often in flickers of static. Jasper shut her eyes and focused on blocking out the image.

"You're not real..." she whispered.

 _Oh, you say I'm not real, yet here I am._

Jasper clenched her teeth, holding her head in both hands. "Shut up..." she snarled, "Shut up..."

 _You can't save them any more than they can save themselves. You know this. Am I as cruel as they say, or did I simply give what was meant to be given? Did I not offer what you earned?_

Jasper looked up and noticed Yellow Diamond standing in the middle of the street, watching her with a smile on her face.

Jasper hissed, glaring at the illusion. "I know I didn't! I didn't fail! I was worthy of love!"

Yellow scoffed with amusement. _Is that what they tell to a parasitic being who only exists because she took the strength of her sisters? Oh, I know about that too. How your creation marked the weakness of those in Beta. You take more than you give, Jasper. I merely put you in your place to remind you of what you are._

The reminder of her sisters from Beta struck Jasper hard. She suddenly felt sick to her stomach and shook, lowering her eyes.

 _I am what keeps you up at night. I am the thing that haunts every corner of your mind_. Yellow continued, advancing toward her. _I am -_

The sounds of screaming filled the air, snapping Jasper from the horrible image. She looked up sharply and noticed smoke rising from the trees. Curious, she quickly made her way toward it and found several humans attempting to put out a fire from a burning house. A few humans were crowded nearby, horror on their faces.

Jasper looked confused. Why weren't these stupid humans doing anything to help?

A small human child was standing beside his parents, crying about how his dog was still trapped inside. Jasper watched the sight and failed to notice the small animal on the third floor of the house, struggling in an effort not to fall from the gutter.

The human Sadie was there and looked up with a gasp. She noticed Jasper and pointed. "Jasper!" she cried, "Look! Look up!"

Jasper looked up, moments as the frightened dog stumbled back from the flames and was sent falling off of the gutter with the humans screaming in alarm. She reached out two hands and caught the animal. Its fur was seared in a few places and it was shaken, but otherwise unharmed.

It gave a few whimpers, squirmed in her larger hands before looking up at her with a small bark. Jasper exhaled, tilted her head and the dog happily licked her cheek.

While the humans battling the fire seemed to have it under control, Jasper walked up to the humans with the dog in her hands. She licked her lips, grimaced a little and offered the animal down to the smaller child. The boy looked up at her with a smile.

"Thank you." he said.

The two parents nodded their heads. "Yes, thank you." the mother told her.

Jasper hesitated before responding. "Yeah... You're welcome."

Sadie smiled at the sight and gave her a playful elbow while Jasper watched the humans depart. "Wow. Guess we were lucky you were here, huh?" she said.

Jasper murmured a grunt in response.

"Well, how's things with Steven?" Sadie asked, wanting to break the ice a bit, "I heard a lot was going on with you, too. I hope everything's okay over there."

Jasper sighed impatiently. "Does he tell every human he meets EVERYTHING that goes on?" she snapped, annoyed by the idea.

Sadie laughed a little. "Well, only the interesting parts, anyway."

Her phone rang and she quickly answered it, holding up a finger to Jasper. She frowned and noticed Sadie's face light up with surprise.

"Oh! Hello, Steven!" she said. "...No, I'm fine, thanks for asking. I... Yeah, yeah, she's here with me."

Jasper stared at her curiously. "What does he want?"

Sadie covered the phone's receiver by resting it on her chest and looked up at her. "Steven wants to know where you are and if everything's alright."

"I'm just...walking and thinking." Jasper said, hesitantly. "I'll be back later."

Sadie nodded. "Okay."

She began to talk with Steven while Jasper walked away.

Meanwhile, Spinel was practicing with her slingshot while Amethyst and Garnet approached her. She didn't notice them until Amethyst spoke her name. Spinel yelped, whirling and firing a shot from her weapon. Garnet calmly reached up and caught it in the palm of her hand.

Spinel grimaced sheepishly. "Sorry."

"Good shot." Garnet remarked.

Spinel smiled now. "Thanks."

"Spinel, we need your help again," Garnet said, "We're going to look for Flint first. Do you know where they had been stationed here on Earth?"

Spinel licked her lips thoughtfully. "Hm. Well, the only place I can think of are the Sand Castles."

Amethyst raised an eyebrow. "Sand Castles?"

Spinel smiled, nodding. "Yeah! It's this really cool place where they were made and it's kind of magical the way..." she explained. "Well, not magical but... Anyway, it's really cool. We have to go there."

Garnet nodded her approval. "Alright. Where is it?"

Spinel thought about it with a murmur. "The last one was north." She seemed to think about that before brightening. "Oh! I know exactly where it is!"

Amethyst chuckled and leaned up to kiss her cheek. "Good work."

Spinel blushed and made the most ridiculous sound before giggling.

As they started walking away, Amethyst looked at Spinel curiously. "So hey, I wanted to ask you...how did you know which Howlite was the real one?"

Spinel frowned thoughtfully and looked at them. "Wasn't it obvious?"

Garnet and Amethyst stared at her in surprise.

O

Jasper continued to think about it some more as she made her way toward the barn. She could see the temple in the distance. She thought about how her decision to be there and how far she'd come from betraying Homeworld. Once more, she felt torn by this decision; though Pink Diamond would have wanted her to be happy, she still felt lost.

"You got a lot on your mind, huh?"

Jasper looked down, noticing Peridot walking up with her hands behind her back. She sighed, looking up toward the temple again.

"It's none of your concern," Jasper said, mildly agitated.

"Well, I mean, if you say so," Peridot quipped.

They were both silent for a while and Peridot found that this was actually pleasant by comparison to when they had traveled in the ship together.

"Hey, come on, I have to show you something." Peridot said.

She wandered into the barn and Jasper reluctantly followed. She noticed Peridot make her way around a makeshift wall before she gestured for Jasper to follow her. Jasper groaned with disinterest, but decided to do so anyway.

She found Peridot sitting in an area surrounded by papers, her projects as well as her ridiculous sculptures. Jasper didn't see what the point was, but Peridot gestured to a nearby chair for her to sit in. Jasper attempted to, but it was quite small for her.

"Look, I get it, you know; it's confusing," Peridot said, "Freedom has a price. I'm starting to see that every day. But just because you feel alone, doesn't mean you have to be alone. You have Pearl now. And you make things better for each other."

Jasper rolled her eyes. She was bored and quite tired. Most of all, she didn't find a speech from the other gem wanted. "What's the point of this speech, Peridot?" she asked.

"The point, Jasper, is that this is what living is like now," Peridot argued, "No matter what you've done then, that doesn't count. You can't keep eating yourself up about it. And you can choose to move on."

"Yeah? And do you expect me to just accept whatever you give?" Jasper said, with an edge in her voice, "Did you think I'd forget about what you did in the canyon? How you turned your back on me?"

Peridot sighed, leaning back in the chair before she nodded. "I said I was sorry for that, Jasper. Come on, I'm trying to be the bigger cut of gem here."

"I didn't ask you to." Jasper said, starting to rise. The chair she sat in had stuck to her thighs and she growled with effort to remove it.

"Hey, look, I have something for you." Peridot told her, reaching behind her to her tape recorder. "It helped me when I was here when I couldn't talk to the others."

Jasper stared down at the offering with a frown.

"Lapis broke my other one," Peridot continued, "But this helps, trust me."

Jasper continued to look at the device and raised an eyebrow. "What am I supposed to do with this?"

"You really have a listening problem." Peridot remarked, with a snort. "Stars, not much changed on that end, huh?"

"So what's your point, Peridot..."

"Just use it. Speak into it when you feel angry or upset." Peridot urged. "Use it to talk about things you can't talk with anyone else."

Jasper sighed, but decided that perhaps Peridot had a point. Maybe there was a use for this device.

"Hey, if there's anything I learned from my time on Earth, it's this; don't microwave CD's, the fifth season of Camp Pining Hearts is garbage, and DON'T DWELL ON THE PAST. No matter how much it makes you want to cry."

Jasper stared down at the offering for the longest time.

O

The gem stood alone on the temple hand, sitting against the dryer for a while in silence. Instead of listening to the whispers and static in her head, she pushed the button to begin recording her thoughts.

"Log...I don't know. It's been difficult assessing my life lately. I don't even know where to begin. I've been seeing a lot of images lately. Sometimes the past, sometimes Yellow Diamond. She... She appears sometimes to me when I'm alone. I've been corrupted and came back from it. Some might think I'm strong. Heh... The things they don't know about me..."

While Jasper talked alone above, activity continued as normal inside the house; Amethyst was playing a game of checkers with Steven, Connie was showing Spinel a yo-yo and she seemed quite delighted by it. She tried to swing it, but ended up hitting herself in the face.

Garnet was in the middle of studying a scroll laid out in front of her in her room and Pearl was trying to help her uncover the location of the Island of Bells.

"I'm stuck here, marooned on a dead planet with gem Rebels who I once called enemies. There's...the fusion. She's strong, I respect that. But she's lost, like the rest of them. I'm still trying to understand how they do it. How they find meaning in a leaderless world. Somehow, she manages. Then... Then there's Spinel. A messenger of Pink Diamond. She had one purpose and that was deliver messages. But yet, she's found a way to do something more."

Below, Spinel was cheering for Amethyst and picked her up, giving her a hug and dancing around with her. Amethyst blushed and laughed. The others joined in soon enough.

Pink Diamond's message to me was clear, but I still feel so lost. Did I really do the right thing? Did I make the right decision to side with them?" Jasper sighed once, shut her eyes but continued. "I'm with someone. I've made my choice, but I still feel as if I've betrayed everything I once stood for. But then I look at her... You know..."

Jasper smiled a little, chuckling.

"Pink Diamond used to tell me 'My Jasper, when you know when you're truly happy, you'll feel something. It will change the way you feel, the way you perceive your whole existence. And when that happens...I want you to hold onto that. For so long as we have that one, single glimmer of hope, we can always find a light in the dark'."

She sighed, looked down at the device in her hands. Looking around, Jasper made certain that no one else was around before she pressed the button and continued.

"It's difficult to be strong, even for jaspers. Even for me. But I know I have to."

A static wave passed behind her closed eyes again. Yellow Diamond was sitting nearby, lying like a contented lioness on one of the many digits of the temple's hand. She smiled at Jasper, raising an eyebrow and tilting her head.

"How long could you go on like that, Jasper? Will you succumb to insanity as the Rose Quartz had? Will you become a beast like the rest of the damaged horde?" A mocking laugh.

Jasper ignored her.

"If you thought I was a monster, you have yet to see the worst from the eldest. Beware a Diamond bearing a grudge."

Jasper knew that. She wasn't stupid. Yellow Diamond had been a creature of vengeance in her own way, but White Diamond was unknown to her. Well, unknown to most gems, anyway.

"Freedom costs a heavy price. You know that."

She did.

Jasper sighed, shut off the recorder and joined the others below. She didn't speak for the rest of the night and decided to rest.

O

 _Wake up, Jasper..._

Jasper blinked, opened her eyes and sat up; she was sleeping beside the fireplace and glanced toward the door, where she found it wide open. The wind occasionally slapped it against the wall, but no one else seemed to be around to shut it. Jasper frowned, sat up and walked toward it, stepping outside and looking around.

She squinted toward the beach and spotted movement - an inky black smear darting behind several buildings. Jasper quickly gave chase, follow it around the buildings and coming up to a dead end - a dumpster packed with rubbish and ripped bags.

 _You know she knows something._

Jasper turned sharply, spotting an illusion of a Yellow Diamond standing there again. She flickered constantly, a sliver of static in the air.

 _The pearl. She sees more than she lets on. You suspect, don't you? You suspect that she's using you._

Jasper shook her head angrily. "No. No she..."

Yellow's smile was too wide. Too fake.

It wasn't her, but it looked like her. It sounded like her.

Another image was presented before her, moments as something slithered its way across the roof of a building, looming over her. A shadow.

 _Have your rest, Jasper._

Jasper looked up, just when the shadow jumped with a terrible, avian screech.


End file.
